Beijing’s Top 10 : The Olympics Legacy – Top 10 Socialist Monuments

1. National Olympic Stadium (Bird’s Nest)

   Of
   all the buildings under construction in preparation for the Olympics,
   the most striking is the new headquarters of China Central Television.
   Designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, it is a gravity-defying loop
   of horizontal and vertical sections. When completed it’s likely to
   become one of the world’s most recognizable icons.

   
   

   
   
   

   National Olympic Stadium

2. National Aquatics Center/Water Cube

   Inspired
   by the formation of bubbles and molecules, the Water Cube is a complex
   of five pools. Now that the Games are over, it will lose two-thirds of
   its seats to make room for a multipurpose leisure center that will
   include an artificial beach and water slides.

   
   

   
   
   

   National Aquatics Center

3. National Indoor Stadium

   Built
   to host gymnastics and handball during the 2008 Games, this stadium
   boasts a sinuously curving roof with slatted beams, which is inspired by
   traditional Chinese folding fans. Post-Olympics, the stadium will stage
   entertainment events such as concerts.

4. Olympic Green

   The
   Olympic Green surrounds the Olympic Village and extends beyond the
   fifth ring road, covering a total of 1,680 acres (680 hectares). At its
   heart is a dragon-shaped lake, as well as waterfalls, meadows, and
   streams. The park is slated for public use by 2009.

5. Olympic Green Convention Center

   This
   building hosted the fencing events during the 2008 Games, as well as
   providing a home for the International Broadcasting Center. Its
   distinctive shape mirrors the traditional Chinese “flying roof” and acts
   as a giant rainwater collector. It is due to open as a conference venue
   in July 2009.

6. Digital Beijing Building

   Designed
   by Beijing-based Studio Pei Zhu, Digital Beijing served as the Games’
   Control and Data Center. It resembles a bar code from one side and an
   integrated circuit board from the other. Post-Games, it will accommodate
   a virtual museum and an exhibition center.

7. Beijing Airport, Terminal 3

   The
   world’s largest and most advanced airport building, Lord Norman
   Foster’s new Terminal 3 welcomed athletes from around the world to the
   2008 Olympics. The design resembles a soaring dragon in red and yellow,
   thus evoking traditional Chinese colors and symbols.

8. National Grand Theater (National Center for the Performing Arts)

   French architect Paul Andreu’s silvery “Egg” provides a striking contrast to the monolithic, slab-like Socialist
   architecture of neighboring Tian’an Men Square. The building is
   surrounded by a reflective moat and accessed by an underwater tunnel. At
   night, a part of the facade is transparent, so passers-by can see
   what’s going on inside.

9. CCTV Building

   The
   most striking addition to the Beijing skyline is the new headquarters
   of China Central Television. Designed by Dutch architects Rem Koolhaas
   and Ole van Scheeren, it is a gravity-defying loop that pushes the
   limits of architecture and reinvents the organization of spaces. When
   completed, in 2009, it’s sure to become one of the world’s most
   recognizable buildings.

10. Television Cultural Center (TVCC)

    The
    most striking addition to the Beijing skyline is the new headquarters
    of China Central Television. Designed by Dutch architects Rem Koolhaas
    and Ole van Scheeren, it is a gravity-defying loop that pushes the
    limits of architecture and reinvents the organization of spaces. When
    completed, in 2009, it’s sure to become one of the world’s most
    recognizable buildings.

Top 10 Socialist Monuments