Beijing National Stadium – a futuristic steel design

The National Stadium in Beijing has a futuristic design made of steel. Unofficially dubbed the Bird’s Nest, it is considered a masterpiece of technology and one of the engineering marvels of today’s world. The outer shell comprises 36 kilometers of interwoven steel bars, creating the unmistakable bird’s nest shape.

Construction began on December 24, 2003 and was completed in March 2008. The total cost was more than 423 million dollars, a small part of the 40 billion dollars spent by Beijing to prepare for the Olympics. An impressive amount of steel served as the base material.

Totaling 41,875 tons, the steel used was said to be the purest ever produced in China. Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron, assisted by Chinese architect Li Xinggang, led the project. It is considered to be one of the most complex stadiums ever completed from an engineering point of view.

A FUTURISTIC STEEL DESIGN – STRUCTURE

The stadium consists of two parts that were built separately: the outer steel structure and the inner concrete stands. Behind the stadium’s futuristic design and complex structure lies a double mission. It has to be earthquake resistant, but visually „light”. The entire structure of the Beijing stadium was then covered with a waterproof polymer membrane. This allows sunlight to reach the interior turf. The membrane also helps to improve the stadium’s lighting, significantly reducing light reflections, shadows and creating a suitable atmosphere for entertainment.

The foundations had to be dug 37 meters below ground level to support the weight and horizontal forces generated by the structure. The 91,000-seat stadium was designed to incorporate elements of Chinese art and culture. The main part of the stadium is an elliptical metal structure.

The building stretches 333m from north to south and 294m from east to west. The height of the stadium is 69.2m. The design also included 11,000 removable seats. In addition to the aesthetic value, the role of the metal structural elements, which interweave and support each other, should be emphasized.

Although it gives the impression of a smooth and almost natural flow, the combination of different elements is the result of precise calculations. With its complex geometry, the calculations were so numerous and complicated that they could not be solved by hand. Software was needed to ensure that the twisted steel elements fit together perfectly.