BEIJING OLYMPIC STADIUM

HERZOG AND DE MURON

ARCHITECTURE AS EXHIBITION
OR
ARCHITECTURE OF EXHIBITION

AS

BEIJING OLYMPIC
STADIUM OF

BIRD’S EYE VIEW - A BEACON

OF
KEY

CULTURAL AXIS OLYMPIC VILLAGE

OLYMPIC AXIS PUBLIC TRANSPORT

OLYMPIC STADIUM

NATIONAL STADIUM

FOREST PARK

OTHER OLYMPIC VENUES OF

INTERNAL VIEW

PRECEDENTS OF EXHIBITION - STADIUMS AND RECREATION BY KAONE RADIKWATA & KENNETH JIMBO
 BEIJING OLYMPIC STADIUM
HERZOG AND DE MURON

ROOF PLAN

SIDE ELEVATION

KEY

MAIN ACCESS TRACK AND FIELD

ACCESS UNDERGROUND SPACES

INTERNAL CIRCULATION 0 VEHICULAR MOVEMENT

SIDE ELEVATION
INTERNAL SPACES

BIRD’S NEST - “FEMININE” DESIGN OPEN STRUCTURE ALLOWS FOR NATURAL VENTILATION
BIOMIMICRY - IMITATING NATURE FUSION OF STRUCTURAL AND AESTHETIC ELEMENTS ELEVATION AND ROOF OF SAME STRUCTURE
DUAL LAYER - INTERNAL CONCRETE BOWL AND EXTERNAL STEEL STRUCTURE

PRECEDENTS OF EXHIBITION - STADIUMS AND RECREATION BY KAONE RADIKWATA & KENNETH JIMBO
 BEIJING OLYMPIC STADIUM
HERZOG AND DE MURON

FACTS

BUDGET $423 MILLION

FLOOR AREA 11000 SQM
SEATING 91000
STRUCTURE STEEL SUPERSTRUCTURE
CONCRETE BASE

ECONOMY
THE BUILDINGS HAVE GIVEN BEIJING AN IDENTITY. ARCHITEC-
TURE BECOMES AN IDENTIFYING ELEMENT

DEBATE WHETHER THE OLYMPICS BENEFITED THE ECONOMY

OF WILL ONLY BE REALIZED AS TIME GOES BY. LONT TEM EF-
FECTS ARE MORE TELLING THAN SHORT TERM
SUBWAY TRANSPORT SYSTEM FUTURE SOCCER STADIUM
IT HAS BEEN FOUND DIFFICULT TO EVALUATE THE ECONOMIC
IMPACT THAT ARCHITECTURE BRINGS TO A NATION. SOME
PROJECTS EVEN MAKE LOSSES FROM PROFIT-INTENDED
SCHEMES

SOCIETY
BUILDINGS ARE EXPENSIVE AND DO NOT DIRECTLY BENEFIT
THE SOCIETY
EXPENSIVE TICKETS
MASS RELOCATION
LOSS OF FARM LAND

TRANSPORT
TRANSPORT SYSTEM DEVELOPED PROVIDED LONG TERM SUS-
TAINABLE SOLUTIONS
NETWORK OF 300KM OF OLYMPIC LANES
55% REDUCTION OF TRSFFIC DURING THE 60 DAYS OF THE
GAMES
EXCESSIVE USE OF STEEL $7 WALK ROUND STADIUM
ENVIRONMENT
BROUGHT IMPROVEMENT TO AIR QUALITY - CARS WITH HIGH
CARBON EMMISSIONS BANNED FROM THE ROADS
67000CBM/YR - WATER RECYCLING PROGRAM POTENTIAL

ENERGY
130KW SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM FOR LIGHTS
WIND POWER FROM GUANTING WIND POWER STATION

MAJOR SHORTFALLS
110 000TONS OF STEEL VS TYPICAL 10 000
CARBON FOOTPRINT - 192500000 KGCO2 VS TYPICAL
17500000000 KGCO2

CURRENT USE
TOURIST ATTRACTION - $7 TO WALK AROUND

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
STADIUM WILL BE HOME TO BEIJING’S GUOAN FOOTBALL CLUB
VAST LAND REQUIRED
WILL BE USED FOR CONCERTS
POLLUTED SKY IN 2005
AREA AROUND STADIUM TO BE TURNED INTO SHOPPING AND
ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX

PRECEDENTS OF EXHIBITION - STADIUMS AND RECREATION BY KAONE RADIKWATA & KENNETH JIMBO
National Stadium, Botswana
CONTEXT ZONING Integrating stadium, ENVIRONMENT
city, and landscape
The architect tried pay
attention to the Gaborone is classified as semi-arid.
relationship between Most of the year, Gaborone is very
the stadium and its sunny. The summers are usually hot.
natural and urban The nights are cool. Usually, the
surroundings. There summers with little rainfall are warmer
are particular aspects than summers with regular rainfall. If
or concepts of the city there is a drought, the hottest
that the stadium
temperatures of the year are usually in
construction must
conform to create
January of February. If there is normal
harmonization. rainfall, the hottest temperatures are
•Balance usually in October, right before the rain
-contemporary & starts. During the winter, days are still
ancient warm, and the nights are cold.
-east-west/north- Precipitation in Gaborone is scarce
south and variable.
•Cultural axis

SITE PARKING
 WIND SOLAR PRECIPITATION

SPECTATORS EXHIBITION CIRCULATION

ACCESS
 Stadium Principles
Stadium construction involves a thought
process far beyond thinking only about
sports. With countless incentives and
important limitations, there are many
motives that stimulate architectural
imagination. This section describes
seven general principles pertaining to
stadium construction. It will help you
understand how to perceive a stadium
from an architectural point of view.

FUNCTION
Botswana National Stadium is a multi-use
stadium in Gaborone, Botswana. It is currently
used mostly for football matches. The stadium
holds 22,500.The stadium is made up of a total
of ten stands, three of which are covered.
Three large stands on each end of the stadium
make up the north and south ends. The west
side of the stadium is made up of three
covered stands, while the east end is made up
of one giant uncovered stand.
Three-dimensional perspective
A stadium is an inherently large
structure - one which is often difficult to
determine the start from the end,
simply because each of its exterior sides
are mirror images of each other.
A real challenge for the designer or
architect is to either accentuate the
similarities from side to side or
conversely create "breaks" in the
stadium structure in order to defeat an
anachronic view.

SITE ENTRANCE Symmetry and differences
The stadium is generally
STADIUM ENTRANCE symmetrical with the
conscious aim to repeat a
SOCCER PITCH similar representation of
both horizontal and
vertical views. That said,
EXECUTIVE
the architect may take
some implicit risks in such
GYM harmonization by
introducing subtle breaks
or imbalances such as
SEAT
supporting pillars, walk
ways, or even the choice
of random coloured seats
REST OCCUPIED BY FIELD which causes an optical
EVENTS SPACES illusion of not being in
balance.
Structural Expressionism
Frames, pillars, roofs, lattices, curved
surfaces and above all refractions and
diffractions of bright rays, and well-
balanced proportions of clear and
shaded spaces, are all aspects that
contribute to many different results.
Creative use of space
The center of the stadium is designed to
be a focal point for performers,
employees and the audience alike.
Much detail is required to make this
space impressive, creative, and very
much alive.