Nest-like design chosen for stadium

A NEST-LIKE architecture scheme for the main stadium of the 2008 Olympics has been pre-approved by the public during a design show in Beijing, beating the other two favourites by the smallest margin. 

The architecture plan, co-designed by Swiss company Herzog & DeMeuron and China Architecture Design Institute, won 3,506 votes for the first place from over 6,000 visitors to the six-day exhibition, which closed on Sunday, to become the favourite design of the National Stadium for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. 

The design stood out with its unique nest-like exterior, which encloses the stadium with curved steel-net walls.  

It was also one of the three winners picked by an official evaluation panel from 13 others in a design competition prior to the exhibition. 

The design submitted by the Beijing Architecture Design Institute won 3,472 votes while 3,454 votes went to the scheme from a consortium of Japanese AXS Company and Tsinghua University Architecture Design Institute. – People's Daily