Beijing's "Bird's Nest" Olympic Stadium Opens To Media Members
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Media Gets First Up-Close Look
At Beijing's Olympic Stadium |
Beijing's 91,000-seat, US$450M Olympic Stadium, commonly referred to as the "Bird's Nest," opened to the media for the first time yesterday "quietly and without fanfare," according to Stephen Wade of the AP. The venue, which will host this summer's Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as track and field competitions, is the "last to be completed" of China's 37 venues for the Games. Organizers said that preparing for the Opening Ceremony "has required adjustments to building schedules, pushing back the stadium's completion by a few months." The "final touches" on the stadium will not be completed until next month. Franco Destefanis, who has installed running tracks in stadiums around the world, said of the venue, "The design, the new-style architecture and the size is impressive. The outside catches your eye particularly with the lights at night" (AP, 4/16). REUTERS' Nick Mulvenney wrote there was “no sign of where the Olympic cauldron will be placed. That, along with details of the opening ceremony, are among the best-kept secrets in China.” The first event to take place at the stadium is the IAAF men’s 20k walking test event on Friday. Sunday’s Good Luck Beijing marathon also will finish at the stadium. A test event from May 22-25 will be the “first thorough test of the stadium’s ability to host top level track and field events” (REUTERS, 4/16).
EYE CATCHING: The BBC News’ James Reynolds writes the stadium is “meant to catch your eye and preferably keep it as well.” You “cannot miss it -- it looks like a giant pile of grey spaghetti.” As you walk in the stadium, you “notice the finishing touches. The lamps along the pathways are designed to look like mini bird’s nests. Trees have been planted, and workers are busy laying down fresh turf” (BBCNEWS.com, 4/17).
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