Olympic Stadium Design

The Olympics are full of greatness-great athletes, great events, and even great design. Awhile back I wrote about the design of the official Beijing Olympic logo proving that art and design are as important to the games as the games themselves. Equally as grand and impressive are the architectural achievements that are resurrected in preparation for the ceremonies. The most impressive building built for this year's Olympic Games has to be the stadium at the center of it all. Nicknamed the Bird's Nest this monstrous structure can hold over 90,000 spectators - as witnessed at the Opening Ceremonies on August 8. The New York times recently wrote a piece on the design of the stadium:

"Expect to be overwhelmed. Designed by the Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, the stadium lives up to its aspiration as a global landmark. Its elliptical latticework shell, which has earned it the nickname the Bird’s Nest, has an intoxicating beauty that lingers in the imagination. Its allure is only likely to deepen once the enormous crowds disperse and the Olympic Games fade into memory." ••••