Here are some excellent video from Discovery Channel about Beijing National Stadium. We had already seen (previous article) some of the special facts of the construction. These video illustrate the whole thing, from the idea to the architectural concept, to the engineering challenge and the construction. If you find the videos too long, you might want to jump to parts 3 and 4 that have the most information about the engineering and the construction.   Part 1 [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqBdlnSxlis[/youtube] Part 2 [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7va-cLxtEQ[/youtube] Part 3 (Do not miss the second half) [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks8kbZ8ftPw[/youtube] Part 4 (Do not miss!) [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9F9H-gTTKMI[/youtube] Part 5 [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBLb60s9XXg[/youtube]   Source: Ingenieria en la red (Spanish)

The London 2012 Olympic stadium is a £450 million project. The athletics stadium will allow for 80'000 seats, and it will be converted into a more easily maintained 25'000 seat venue after the Games. The lighting and sound systems will be supported by a roof that will stretch around the Stadium. Of course, it will also provide cover and a base for special effects during the ceremonies. The Stadium will be built to international track and field standards for athletes. The Olympic Stadium will be located on an island at the south of the Olympic Park within easy walking distance of the Olympic Village and warm-up facilities.  The site will be surrounded on three sides by waterways.

Beijing’s new seven-level Olympic stadium is a $500 million project. Finishing touches are still being added to the stadium that will be able to seat as many as 91'000 spectators during the Olympic Games starting August 9, 2008. After the Games, temporary seating will be removed, reducing the the capacity to 80'000. This will also be the case of the London Olympic Stadium. The National Stadium, also known as the "Bird's Nest" for its lattice work of interwoven steel, has been designed by Herzog & de Meuron. It has made such an impact as to displace late Chinese leader Mao Zedong's face from commemorative Olympic bank notes.