The centrepiece of the 2008 Summer Olympics was the Beijing National Stadium , nicknamed " The Bird 's Nest " because of its nest-like skeletal structure . The stadium hosted both the opening and closing ceremonies as well as the athletics competition . Construction of the venue began on 24 December 2003 . The Guangdong Olympic Stadium was originally planned , constructed , and completed in 2001 to help host the Games , but a decision was made to construct a new stadium in Beijing . In 2001 , the city held a bidding process to select the best arena design . Several criteria were required of each design , including flexibility for post-Olympics use , a retractable roof , and low maintenance costs . The entry list was narrowed to thirteen final designs . The bird 's nest model submitted by architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron in collaboration with Li Xinggang of China Architecture Design and Research Group ( CADG ) was selected as the top design by both a professional panel and by a broader audience during a public exhibition . The selection of the design became official in April 2003 . Construction of the stadium was a joint venture among the original designers , project architect Stefan Marbach , artist Ai Weiwei , and a group of CADG architects led by Li Xinggang . Its $ 423 million cost was funded by the state-owned corporate conglomerate CITIC and the Beijing State-Owned Assets Management Company
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2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony
2008 Summer Olympics