"The curving structural steel columns weave a kind of permeable outer layer that can be crossed or even climbed, thanks to several winding pathways.

"'The structure almost breathes,' says Jacques Herzog of the stadium, which is 320 meters (1,050 feet) long, nearly 70 meters (230 feet) high, and holds nearly 100,000 seats. 'We were aware from the outset that this was an enormous structure. We didn't want this huge stadium to smother or repulse people, but desired the opposite: that it would attract and absorb people.'"

— Brian Libby, Beijing Bird's Nest - Architecture, ArchitectureWeek No. 393

Details

Built for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.