姘寸珛鏂更br/>TheNationalAquaticsCentre,knownas'TheWaterCube',willbeoneofthemostdramaticandexcitingvenuestofeaturesportingeventsfortheBeijingOlympicsin2008.

　　TheinterioroftheCentrealsomakesastrongimpression

　　InJuly2003,theconsortiumofArup,architecturefirmPTW,theCSCEC(ChinaStateConstructionandEngineeringCorporation)andtheCSCECShenzhenDesignInstitute(CSCEC+DESIGN)wontheinternationaldesigncompetitionfortheNationalAquaticsCentreforthe2008BeijingOlympics.

　　Thecompetition,whichwasjudgedbyapanelofinternationalarchitects,engineersandpre-eminentChineseacademics,commencedwithsubmissionsfromteninternationalconsortiaandalsoinvolvedapublicexhibitionandvote.

　　TheWaterCubelookssettobereadyinOctober2007.Boththeconcreteandthesteelstructurehavebeencompleted,and500m²ofprototypecladdingwasinstalledinApril,2006.Thenextphaseistoinstallallofthecladdingandthenfollowonwithde-proppingtheinternalstructureandcompletingtheinterior.

　　Thebuilding'sstructuraldesignisbasedonthenaturalformationofsoapbubbles

　　Toarriveatthebuilding'sstructuraldesign,whichisbasedonthenaturalformationofsoapbubblestogivearandom,organicappearance,weusedresearchundertakenbyWeaireandPhelan(professorsofphysics)intohowsoapbubblesmightbearrangedinaninfinitearray.

　　Tobringthedesigntolife,theindividualbubblesareincorporatedintoaplasticfilmandtailoredlikeasewingpattern.Anentiresectionispiecedtogetherandthenputintoplacewithinthestructure.Thereareinteriorandexteriorfilms,andthefilmistheninflatedonceitisin-situ.Itwillbecontinuouslypumpedthereafter.

　　Theactualpumpinghasbeensub-contracted,andoncetheinstallationiscompletetheoperatorwillberesponsibleforboththeoperationandmaintenanceofthefacadefortenyears.Thiswasakeycomponentofthebriefandinthechoiceofcontractor.

　　Theprojectisanopportunityforustoofferourexpertiseinsustainableservices.Thebuildingwillusesolarenergytoheatthepoolsandtheinteriorarea,andallbackwashwateristobefilteredandreturnedtotheswimmingpools.

　　TheschemeanddesignfortheprojectwasdevelopedinAustralia.TheprojecthasnowbeenhandedovertoateaminBeijingwhoaretakingcareoftheconstruction.

　　楦熷发

　　BeijingNationalStadium(Bird'sNest/OlympicStadium)

　　TheBeijingNationalStadium,alsoknownasthebird'snestwillbethemaintrackandfieldstadiumforthe2008SummerOlympicsandwillbehosttotheOpeningandClosingceremonies.In2002Governmentofficialsengagedarchitectsworldwideinadesigncompetition.PritzkerPrize-winningarchitectsHerzog&deMeuroncollaboratedwithArupSportandChinaArchitectureDesign&ResearchGrouptowinthecompetition.Thestadiumwillseatasmanyas100,000spectatorsduringtheOlympics,butthiswillbereducedto80,000afterthegames.IthasreplacedtheoriginalintendedvenueoftheGuangdongOlympicStadium.Thestadiumis330metreslongby220metreswide,andis69.2metrestall.The250,000squaremetre(grossfloorarea)stadiumistobebuiltwith36kmofunwrappedsteel,withacombinedweightof45,000tonnes.Thestadiumwillcostupto3.5billionyuan(422,873,850USD/325,395,593EUR).Thegroundwa