We ’ve been reading about China ’s expression plan for years , and wondered whether all those huge buildings will be ready in time for the 2008 Olympics . Now those buildings are opening for business , one by one .
Beijing Airport
Beijing Capital International Airport ’s new Terminal 3 will officially open up tomorrow ( February 29th ) . It is the cosmos ’s tumid drome building with overten million square feetof interior blank . In fact , it is thesecond with child building in the world!Designed byFoster+Partners , it went from programme to opening day in less than four old age . Ten village were displaced to make room for the terminal . But do n’t fault the Olympics ; the one-time airport configuration was already strain under the load . Even this tartar - shaped design will be short in another ten age or so .
Beijing National Stadium
TheBeijing National Stadiumis expected to be completed next month . Designed by the Swiss firmHerzog & de Meuron , it is sometimes called the " Birds Nest " , for obvious reasons . It has an official capacity of 91,000 , but will likely hold 100,000 for the Olympic opening ceremonies . ( image credit : Tee Meng )
National Aquatics Center
Olympic Basketball Gymnasium
The OlympicBasketball Gymopened last month in Wukesong , Rebecca West of Beijing . It handle 63,000 square cadence and can seat 18,000 spectator pump . China ’s basketball fever is mostly due to the success ofYao Ming , who must sit down out the sleep of the NBA season with a stress fracture . Whether he will be able to play for the home squad in August is now up in the breeze .
Olympic Green Tennis Center
There are many more new locus specifically for Olympian competition and trapping . you may see the art , and a few current photographs , at theOlympics site . There are also construction projects to accomodate the many visitor expected in August .
National Grand Theater
TheNational Grand Theateropened in 2007 . The orchis - shaped opera house with three auditoriums is made of titanium and glass and is fence by urine . It seat 6,500 people . design by Gallic architect Paul Andreu , the theater expression cost 50 % more than gauge . Construction overruns and high sustentation costs will think the Chinese government will have to subsidize the theater ’s activites for several years at least . See more pictureshere .
CCTV Headquarters
The CCTV Headquarters building was project by Rem Koolhass of theOffice for Metropolitan Architecture(OMA ) . The edifice is shaped like two Ls that are joined at the top , but the byname that stuck is " the izzard building . “ When completed ( supposedly in time for the Olympics ) , the 54 tale construction will stand 755 feet tall . Besides CCTV offices , the building will house a hotel , a visitor ’s gist , a theater , and exhibition blank .
Hotels
China is also building at least 109 new hotel to accomodate Olympic travelers . envision is the400 - roomLangham Place Beijing Capital Airport Hotel , scheduled to open in mid-2008 . The crowing hotel undertaking is the Beijing Marriott Hotel City Wall , with615rooms .
15,000 people have beenrelocatedto make room for the Olympian venue . Six people havediedin the building projects , admit two at the National Stadium . One project , a shooting scope , was delayed over the discovery ofimperial - geological era tombs . Manyancient artifactswere detect as bulldozers broke land at several other web site . The Olympics start August 8th .
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