The Bird’s Nest Stadium_The Chinese National Stadium in Beijing

The design resembling a bird’s nest was inspired from the art of Chinese ceramics and its purpose is to leave the spectators wondering which aspects of the structure are functional and which are only included for design purposes.

The stadium is located in the Olympic Green and one of the main ideas behind the design was to create an icon for China and the city of Beijing. The shape was chosen so that it would express something related to the Chinese traditions and culture; its circular form represents Heaven while the adjacent square resembles the Chinese symbol for Earth. The consultant for the making of this complex shape was Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.