Since the founding of New China, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, with the preparation, revision and implementation of the seven editions of Beijing's urban master plan, as a national political center, cultural center, international exchange center, and scientific and technological innovation center, Beijing has continuously explored and practiced the major issue of "what kind of capital to build and how to build a capital".
Over the past 70 years, along with the rejuvenation of the great motherland, Beijing has gradually developed into a modern international metropolis. So, how did the city of Beijing grow step by step into what it is today? In the face of the new period and new stage, what new challenges, new problems and new opportunities are facing the development of the capital city? As we commemorate the 99th anniversary of the founding of the Cpc and the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, let us review history and think about the future together.
Based on the urban strategic positioning of Beijing's "Four Centers", the topic of "Beijing Urban Reality" tells the story of Beijing's urban "Ancient Reality" from the five aspects of urban and rural planning, natural resources, construction engineering, municipal transportation and cultural life, and in accordance with the three stages of the 30 years after the founding of New China (1949-1978), the 30 years after the reform and opening up (1979-2012), and the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (2012-present), (Note: "Soshi" refers to the facts of historical significance). Take you to relive the story of Beijing's urban planning and construction development, and show the road and brilliant achievements of Beijing's urban planning and construction since the founding of New China.
On July 13, 2001, the President of the International Olympic Committee announced that Beijing, China, had won the right to host the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, a moment of pride and ecstasy for all Chinese. At 8:00 p.m. on August 8, 2008, the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games was officially held at the "Bird's Nest", showing the world a splendid picture of Chinese civilization and the history of a country's progress. That summer, the world refreshed its understanding of this eastern country and its people – warm, friendly, united, uplifting.
The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games deserve to be remembered forever, but the stadiums that host the Beijing Olympic Games are also worth knowing and visiting. The following is especially represented by the main new venues in the Olympic Central Area, taking everyone to review and appreciate the style of the Olympic venues.
2008 Beijing Olympic Games opening (Source: Tu worm creative network)
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="01" data-track="13" > planning and construction background</h1>
The site selection planning for the Olympic Games began in 1998 and was undertaken by the Beijing Municipal Government. In March 1999, the First Planning Office, the Municipal Planning Bureau, the Municipal Planning Institute, the State General Administration of Sports, and the Beijing Municipal General Administration of Sports jointly formed the "Beijing Bidding For the 2008 Olympic Games Planning Coordination Group" and began to study the site selection of the main center of the Olympic Games, venues and related facilities. In December 1999, after the study of the special meeting of the municipal government, it was agreed in principle that the northern Olympic Sports Center plan should be the site of the main center of the Olympic Games, and it was required to continue to do a good job in planning on this basis.
In 2000, the Municipal Planning Commission organized the "Beijing International Exhibition and Sports Center Planning and Design Scheme Solicitation", that is, the first international proposal solicitation for the main Olympic Center venues; later, according to the municipal government's decision on moving the main Olympic Center from the original Northern Olympic Sports Center to the Olympic Park, a comprehensive plan for the Olympic Park was formulated, laying the foundation for the bid and holding of the Future Olympic Games.
From February 2000 to January 2001, the Municipal Planning Commission was responsible for the Olympic Games, with the participation of the Municipal Planning Institute, cooperated with the bidding for the Olympic Games and the national competent departments to submit the Olympic "Application Report" and "Bidding Report", and completed the overall layout of the Olympic Games, venue planning, Olympic Village planning and other related planning work.
From 2002 to 2004, in accordance with the recommendations of the International Olympic Committee and the central government's call for "frugality in the Olympic Games", the "slimming" plan for venues was implemented. During the same period, organized by the Municipal Planning Commission and the Municipal Planning Institute, the Municipal Planning Institute was responsible for comprehensively completing the collection (competition) of planning (architecture) and design international plans, including the main Olympic Center, the Olympic Competition Venues, the Olympic Park, and the Wukesong Cultural and Sports Center, and completed the implementation plan of the Olympic Park and the engineering design plan of the venues, laying a planning and design foundation for the construction of the Olympic Games and the hosting of the Olympic Games.
According to the final plan, the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games set up a total of 28 events, of which 26 events were held in Beijing, and a total of 31 venues needed to be built and expanded (12 new, 11 were renovated and expanded, and 8 were temporarily built).
The competition venues are mainly distributed in four regions. The first is the Olympic Central Area, that is, the Olympic Park, which concentrates on the construction and renovation of 10 Olympic venues, including the National Stadium, the National Aquatics Center and the National Gymnasium; the second is the university district, which plans to build 1 venue in each of the four universities such as Peking University, the University of Science and Technology Beijing and the China Agricultural University, and at the same time renovate and expand the Capital Gymnasium; the third is the western community, with the Wukesong Cultural and Sports Center as the main construction of 7 venues; the fourth is the northern tourist scenic spot, the construction of water competitions, horse racing and other 3 venues.
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="02" data-track="79" > major new venues in the Olympic Central District</h1>
National Stadium – Bird's Nest
The National Stadium is the main venue of the 2008 Olympic Games and is also the iconic sports building of the National and Beijing Olympic Games. It is located in the Beijing Olympic Park, on the east side of the northern end of Beijing's urban axis, with a total construction area of about 258,000 square meters. It was designed by Herzog & De Meron, Aoyana Engineering Consulting and the China Architectural Design & Research Institute., a consortium of designs.
The components of the entire stadium structure support each other to form a grid-like structure that looks like a bird's nest woven of branches, and its gray mineral steel mesh is covered with transparent membrane material, which contains an earth-red bowl-shaped stadium stand. Here, the hollowing techniques of traditional Chinese culture, the grain of ceramics, and the brilliance and warmth of red are perfectly integrated with the most advanced modern steel structure design.
During the 2008 Olympic Games, the National Stadium undertook major events and important events such as the opening and closing ceremonies, athletics competitions, and men's football finals. There are a total of 100,000 permanent and temporary seats in the stadium. Among them, there are 1500 VIP seats, 1500 press seats, 2000 athlete seats and several VIP boxes.
After the Olympic Games, national and world-class athletics, football and other events can be held, large-scale performances and public welfare activities can be held, and a certain scale of exhibitions can be held in conjunction with the conference center. The stadium supports the construction of various grades of VIP boxes and high-end seats, through the sale or rental of private rooms and seats in the venue, recover part of the investment, attract fixed spectators, during the inactive period of the box can provide meeting and meeting services.
National Stadium (Image source: Tu worm creative network)
National Aquatics Center - Water Cube
The National Aquatics Center is one of the landmark buildings of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, located in the Beijing Olympic Park, the north side is close to the National Gymnasium, with a total construction area of about 65,000 square meters. It is mainly composed of five special areas, namely the competition area, the athlete and accompanying officer area, the competition management area, the VIP area, and the media area. It is jointly designed by China State Construction Engineering Corporation, China State Construction International (Shenzhen) Design Consultants Co., Ltd., Australia PTW Architects, and Arup Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd.
During the 2008 Olympic Games, the National Aquatics Center undertook swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, water polo and other competitions, and could accommodate 17,000 spectator seats, of which 6,000 were permanent seats, and 11,000 temporary seats were added during the Olympic Games (which will be demolished after the Games). After the Olympic Games, the swimming center can still undertake major water competitions (such as paralympic games, world swimming, diving championships), and various regular events.
During the 2022 Winter Olympics, it will be transformed into a curling venue. Through the dismantlable venue, indoor environment real-time control and other technologies, the "water cube" is converted into an "ice cube", which is the first time in the history of the Winter Olympic Games to realize a convertible curling competition venue, while retaining the heritage of the Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympics, and better realizing the sustainable development of the Olympic venues.
National Aquatics Center (Source: Figureworm Creative Network)
National Stadium
The National Stadium is one of the three main venues of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, located in the south of the central area of beijing Olympic Park, is the only truly Original Chinese design in the "Three Pavilions" of the Olympic Games, inspired by the Chinese "folding fan", is the largest two-way tension string steel roof truss structure system in China, taking a wavy shape from south to north, the roof is light and dynamic. With a floor area of approximately 80,000 square meters, the venue has 18,000 fixed seats and 2,000 temporary seats. The design unit of the venue is Beijing Architectural Design and Research Institute, and the construction unit is Beijing Urban Construction Group Co., Ltd.
In the 2008 Olympic Games, the National Stadium successively undertook gymnastics, trampoline and handball competitions. After the Olympic Games, it became the indoor sports hall with the largest number of seats in Beijing and a civic activity center that can provide multi-functional services. Organizing international and domestic professional sports events and commercial large-scale sports and cultural performance activities has become the leading function of the museum.
During the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, the National Stadium will host all men's ice hockey events, women's ice hockey finals and ice hockey events at the Winter Paralympic Games. Construction began in December 2018 to host a pre-Winter Olympics ice hockey test match in 2021.
National Stadium (Source: Beijing Architectural Design and Research Institute)
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="03" data-track="80" > value significance</h1>
The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games attracted worldwide attention, and the Olympic venues not only became new landmarks in Beijing, but also became a microcosm of Beijing's new urban spirit. In the ancient capital of Beijing, in addition to the historical architectural monuments, there are modern technology sports venues, ancient and modern interlaced, adding to the thickness of history to add the creativity of the times.
In the process of construction of these venues, new interpretations and practices have been made for sustainable development and innovative spirit. In order to ensure the sustainable development of the Olympic venues, the Beijing Municipal Government has carefully planned the design and site selection of the Olympic venues.
The Olympic Games and science and technology are closely integrated, and many Olympic venues have concentrated the most cutting-edge independent innovation technology of relevant domestic majors, and timely solved a series of problems in their structural design and construction plans. In the construction of Beijing Olympic venues, many key technologies come from independent innovation, and some achievements have filled the domestic technology gap and even walked in the forefront of the world. In the major structural construction projects of the Olympic venue construction project, building energy conservation, water conservation, new energy utilization, environmental protection and green building and other scientific and technological innovation has achieved phased results, with the National Stadium, the National Aquatics Center as the representative of the Olympic venues and related facilities, covering a variety of steel structure system, large structural span, complex shape, difficult design, through technological innovation and research to solve technical problems, overcome major technical safety risks, and made contributions to the development of the field of steel structure, Beijing's Olympic venues have become "catwalks" showcasing the latest technology and craftsmanship in Chinese architecture.
Resources
[1]] Beijing Municipal Committee for the Compilation of Local History. Beijing Chronicle, Urban and Rural Planning Volume, Planning Chronicle[M]. Beijing Publishing House,2009.]
【2】Portfolio of Beijing Architectural Design and Research Institute Co., Ltd. 1949-2019[M]. Tongji University Press, 2020.
【3】 Construction of Beijing Olympic venues interprets the Olympic spirit[N]. Beijing Business Daily, 2007-09-27.