Article
Architectural nest egg
A child poses for his mother's camera near the iconic Bird's Nest stadium.
Photo: AFP
Every day, people in Hong Kong and on the mainland wade through the clutter of media attention, both positive and negative, surrounding the Beijing Olympics. But amid this frenzied curiosity about one of the most anticipated and controversial organised events in recent times, an unlikely candidate has emerged as the most representative symbol of the Games, the Beijing National Stadium - better known as the "Bird's Nest".
The stadium's striking architecture has been used to represent the 2008 Olympics in almost every kind of media covering the event, from magazines and TV shows to adverts and documentaries. Never before has the venue's architecture been such a focus of attention, and played such a crucial role in branding the event.
Few would disagree that the Olympics is about branding the host city and the country behind it. But what makes this particular event so special is the unprecedented importance that the sporting venue has played.
Even though previous Games featured remarkable architecture, none has gained the same level of public recognition as the Bird's Nest. There are already memorabilia stores in Beijing selling T-shirts, postcards and banners featuring the distinctive stadium. Mobile phones designed in the image of the "Water Cube" National Aquatics Centre are also a testament to the impact that the innovative designs are having on Chinese society.
While previous Games relied mostly on their logo to represent and market themselves, the Beijing Olympics has something much closer to the heart of the Games - the very stadium that will play host to thousands of spectators and athletes. A life-sized logo indeed, and perhaps the most meaningful one imaginable.
In contrast to the intentionally produced branding material, such as the official logo and the five mascots, the Olympics brand emerged naturally from the architecture, not the other way around. When spectators and athletes are in the Bird's Nest, they are not just in a building but inside an internationally recognised symbol of China's debut on the world stage. With its striking design and symbolic nature, the Bird's Nest stadium has achieved what few other stadiums could claim by connecting more people to the event and host city.
The stadium has also given the capital a new face, as locals and foreigners alike became drawn to the connection between the Olympics, Beijing and its architecture. Local residents took pictures in front of the half-finished stadium, bloggers followed the construction progress and cab drivers spontaneously ask passengers their opinions on the design. There are even online discussion forums in China devoted solely to the Olympic buildings. More than any other stadium in the history of the Olympics, the Bird's Nest symbolises and contributes far more than just its function; it has captured the pride and fervour of Beijing and projected itself onto the front page of newspapers and the surfaces of billboards.
Such unprecedented success can be attributed to the architects who designed the stadium to relate to the context of the host culture. Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron paired up with renowned Chinese artist Ai Weiwei to produce a design that symbolises the strong Chinese concept of family unity. The ability for the Bird's Nest to culturally connect with local Chinese and dazzle visiting foreigners alike serves as a very valuable asset for a city in search of new landmarks to symbolise its success.
Beijing has always been known for its ancient landmarks, such as the Forbidden City, but lagged behind in modern, attractive buildings. The Olympics finally gave the city a chance to reinvent itself as a destination for innovative architecture. Even with the gravity-defying CCTV headquarters and the titanium-clad National Opera House, it is still the distinctive National Stadium that has made a lasting impression of Beijing on people's minds.
What makes the accomplishment even more valuable is that, unlike other landmarks, this was not achieved by sheer height. Most famous buildings in recent times have gained their status mostly on the basis of being the tallest.
But the Bird's Nest is only about 18 storeys high. Instead, evocative design and beautiful imagery won the hearts of Beijing, and now the rest of the world will also have the chance to appreciate this masterpiece.
With only a few weeks before the big day, the stadium has already given more to the Olympics than any previous venue could ever imagine. How it will perform during the Games itself is, of course, still to be revealed.
But one thing is for sure: in years to come, people might not remember the 2008 Olympics' red-chop logo, its corporate sponsors or even who won the 100-metre sprint. But what they will remember is the incredible stadium that held the Games, along with the pride and hopes of an entire nation - perhaps one of the greatest symbols of China's rise.
Hong Kong-raised Douglas T. W. Wu is a Masters in Architecture candidate at Harvard University. dwu1@gsd.harvard.edu