The center is one of two - along with the stadium "Herzog & de Meuron" - Olympic sports facilities, whose architects were chosen on the basis of a competition, so it attracted public attention from the very beginning. Its shell - a Teflon membrane of 3,000 air-filled "cushions" - combined physical lightness and visual appeal, which made the project optimal for Beijing. The light weight of the walls of the building will reduce the risk of collapse in case of a sufficiently high seismic threat, and their transparency and unusual appearance corresponds to the advertising, "showcase" aspect of the 2008 Olympics.
Such a membrane structure covering a simple rectangular steel frame is the first in China and also the largest in the world (its area is 110,000 sq. M). It creates an almost sealed interior space, which makes it easy to maintain a comfortable, positive temperature inside, even during the winter months. In the summer, the ventilation system will start operating, based on heat exchange between hot air in the room and cooler outside. The sun will not heat up the building very much thanks to the matte Teflon layers inside the building envelope.
Also, the walls of the sports complex will not need to be cleaned: due to the very high smoothness of the material, even the small amount of dust that nevertheless settles on them will be washed away by the rains.
The construction of the center - "Water Cube" - is so strong that it must withstand at least 100 years of use. The only danger for it comes from people - but the wide moat encircling the structure will prevent visitors from even touching the “bubbles”.
The very structure of the membrane is based on the natural principle of filling space, which can be seen in the structure of cells of living organisms and in crystals of minerals. Thus, despite the "organic" and irregular appearance, it was easy to create.
The National Sports Center is the second major Olympic building to be completed in Beijing. The first can be called the Paul André Bolshoi People's Theater, which opened at the end of last year.
The Herzog & de Meuron Olympic Stadium and the new international airport designed by Norman Foster should be ready by March 2008. Rem Koolhaas's new CCTV complex has not been completed by the start of the Games: its opening has been postponed to 2009.
