National Stadium, the centerpiece for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, opened for its first sports event on April 18. The stadium, designed by the consortium of engineers Arup, Herzog & De Meuron architects, and China Architecture Design & Research Group, is adjacent to another Olympic landmark, the so-called “Water Cube” aquatic center (also designed by Arup). The 91,000-seat stadium will serve as the site for the opening and closing ceremonies of this summer’s Olympic Games, as well as the track and field athletic events. Nicknamed “The Bird’s Nest,” the stadium gets its spectators as close to the action as possible with clear sightlines and still allows for an additional 11, 000 temporary seats during the games. The random-appearing steel roof structure wraps around the seating bowl and, according to the designer “follows a complex set of rules” that defined its geometry and made it buildable. Arup also employed advanced computer modeling and analysis to assure that the stadium will be able to withstand major earthquakes, as Beijing sits in one of the world’s most seismically active zones. Arup Project Director Michael Kwok said in a press release: “The lasting legacy of this stadium will be more than just a sporting venue. The Bird’s Nest is a temple for China’s people, a place to visit and photograph, and a reason to stay in Beijing for an extra day.”