Another soccer preliminary stadium

Another incredible architecture. This is situated in Tianjin, about an hour and an half away by train from Beijing. Tianjin is the 3rd or 4th largest city in China (though less famous than Shanghai or Guangzhou). This stadium will be used for the soccer preliminaries. Don't you love the lights! :)

Shenyang Olympic Sports Center debuts on July 4th

The incredible thing about the Beijing Olympics is that even the "lesser" venues are spectacular. Here are pictures of the Shenyang Olympic Sports Center located north of Beijing in the Liaoning Province. This stadium is used for football. Photos taken from http://www.skyscrapercity.com/

The Bird Nest At Night (鸟巢夜观)

The construction of the Bird Nest is now focused on the interior. 5000 workers are working on the site everyday. Here are some pictures of the birdnest at night.

The Hong Kong Olympic Equestarian Centre

In case you still didn't know, the equestarian competition will be held in Hong Kong, instead of Beijing. The stadium is now completed. Take a look!!! (taken from 2008.sohu.com)

Football in Shenyang Olympic Center

This is one of the stadiums staging the preliminary football matches come Beijing 2008. As you can see, it's also almost done!!!

Note: The stadium is located in Shenyang, a city north to Beijing.

Wrestling in Chinese Agricultural University Gymnasium

The wrestling competition of Beijing 2008 will be held in yet another brand new stadium - The Chinese Agricultural University Gymnasium.

Another beauty :). Well, here are some stats about the stadium: Location: China Agricultural University (East Campus)

Total land surface (sq. m.): 23,950

Seats: 6,000 permanent and 2,000 removable

Post-Games use: The gym will have a warm-up court and spaces for various sport competitions and large-scale activities, such as badminton, table tennis, gymnastics, volleyball, basketball, handball and indoor football matches.

Update on the Water Cube

Inside the Stadium


Roof Membrane Installation



The membrane installation of the National Aquatic Center (‘Water Cube’) is now 85% completed and is expected to be complete by the end of the year with the installation of the roof membranes.

The Chinese name for the ‘Water Cube’ is actually very interesting. It’s called 水立方, or “Where the Water Stands”. I thought that’s a very poetic name for the stadium!

The ETFE membrane is said to have the ability to “self-clean”. The surface of ETFE has anti-adhesion property that prevents dust from staying on the surface. Even when dust does get trapped, rain will be sufficient to wash the particles away. So when is human effort required for a wash? Well, when the infamous dust storm strucks!

The Water Cube will eventually have 3000 ETFE membranes of varying sizes and they function like air pillows. Are they strong enough? Well, apparently ETFE is able to withstand pressure better than other types of membrane. You can use it as trampoline! If a membrane is damaged, it will be replaced in 8 hours time. How is that possible? Well, Beijing already has facilities that manufacture this new age material! What’s more? These EFTE membranes ensure the use of sunlight as the source of ambient lighting in the stadium!

The exterior coat of the structure will be decorated with many white light spots. They are called galvanizing points. What’s their function? To regulate and enhance the luminosity, aesthetic and temperature of the stadium during the hot summer days when the Games are being played. I believe they also ensure that there’s not too much reflection and shadows into the building. It will be completed in Oct 2007.





Welcome to the stadium of the 21st Century :).

Inside the Bird Nest

Taken from www.skyscrapers.cn

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What do they plan to do with the Bird Nest?

Someone ask me what does Beijing plan to do with the stadiums when they are probably completed 1 year ahead of schedule.

Well, the Chinese are determined that NOTHING goes wrong. So, they have planned for be a series of pre-Games tournaments to test out ALL the stadiums before the Games. This whole series of international events is officially called "Good Luck, Bejing!". In fact, the Chinese had already started testing the Fengtai Softball Stadium and the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Regatta from Aug this year!

Some events that has been announced for the Bird Nest are:

Race walking IAAF Race Walking Challenge 2008.04.19-04.20
Marathon 2008 China Open 2008.04.20
Athletics China Open 2008.05.22-05.25

Functions during the Games: Athletics, Football;
Post-Games use: The Stadium is to stage sports events at national and international levels,as well as cultural and entertaining activities. The sitting capacity is expected to reduced from 91000 during the games to 80000.

Height of the stadium: 41m/135ft to 68m/223 ft
Maximum Length (Major axis): 333m/1093 ft
Maximum Width (Minor axis): 297m/974 ft
Weight: 45,000 tonnes
Cost: US$422,000,000

(BEIJING, Nov. 30) -- With the finishing of the hoisting project, the main structures of the National Stadium for the 2008 Olympic Games have all completed.

The key steps of the construction of the main stadium, also called "the Bird's Nest," are moving to the installation of its membranes, fit-ups and decorations, installation of electromechanical equipment and the outdoor engineering project.

The hoisting project, crucial in the stadium's construction, was arranged into two phases. The main structures' hoisting project started on October 28, 2005 and ended on August 31, 2006. The sub-structures' hoisting was done between September 17 and November 30, 2006.

The Bird's Nest underwent two other major steps this year. On August 31 the welding process was completed on its main steel structures and on September 17, its supportive structures were successfully removed. The engineering and technical staff as well as the workers overcame many difficulties in the construction process.


This is the last 5m steel beam to be fitted.


Secured!

Tianjin Olympic Stadium almost complete!

This beautiful stadium is used for preliminary soccer matches.

More Water Cube

These series of photos really demonstrate how huge and spectacular the "Water Cube" is.

The Beijing University Stadium now the Tan Sri Khoo Teck Puat Stadium?

Today, the Beijing University received a $173.3million rmb ($22million USD) donation from the Khoo Foundation (Singapore) to aid the construction of the Beijing University Stadium. This stadium will the venue of the Ping Pong competition in Beijing 2008.

The late Tan Sri Khoo Teck Puat was the richest man in Singapore. He had an estimated fortune of $5 billion usd. As a result, the stadium will be renamed after him.

It's kinda interesting and heartwarming how many overseas Chinese are willing to give huge sums of money to help build the stadiums. The Water Cube is fully funded by overseas Chinese. So is the equestrain competition venue in Hong Kong. Many of these overseas Chinese are decendents of the very poor who were forced to leave their villages to seek a better life for themselves and the family.

For those who made it, many will give millions of dollars to help build schools, factories, houses and now stadiums in China. Even when they are died, they will give a sum of money, like the Khoo family.

It's ironic at the same time because if China wasn't weak for the first 80 years of the 20th century, many of these people won't have left, become rich and contribute back right now. Will they make it rich if they have stayed on in a stronger China? Nobody knows. The only thing we know is that many Chinese love their motherland no matter how far they are away from it.

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