Water Cube - Beijing National Aquatics Center, Beijing

Water Cube or the Beijing National Aquatics Center is definitely the pride of the city. This structure is designed, expertly combining Chinese traditional values and modern, contemporary technologies. The central theme of the Water Cube is the traditional Chinese concept of the shape of Earth being square and the shape of Heaven being round.

Designed by talented architects from China and Australia, the National Aquatics Center is one of the first buildings in the world to be built using the revolutionary 鈥渟oap bubble鈥� theory. It is made of polyhedral steel-framed structure.

The Water Cube is insulated using ETFE or the ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer. As you look at this building you will be struck by different sized bubble like pneumatic cushions. There are a total of 3,065 cushions in this first ever large scale project which holds the world record for massive deployment.

The name Water Cube originates from the fact that this building looks like a large blue box. The blue color was especially chosen to reflect sunlight. A visit to the Water Cube is a must for any visit to the Olympics Park. Enjoy the stunning view of the building that reflects and shines like a pearl in water in sunlight.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Beijing. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Water Cube - Beijing National Aquatics Center
Sight Location: Beijing, China (See walking tours in Beijing)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Olympic Park Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Beijing, China

Create Your Own Walk in Beijing

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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
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Beijing City Center Walking Tour

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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.7 Km or 2.3 Miles

Beijing's Historical Temples Tour I

Chinese temples are of unique beauty and have withstood many dynasties. However because the temples have always been connected to the imperial families, many of them were destroyed when the last dynasty ended in 1911. Nevertheless, a great number of beautiful temples with great history still stand in Beijing. Take this self-guided walking tour to discover a few famous temples in the northern part... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.9 Km or 0.6 Miles

Olympic Park Walking Tour

The Olympic Park in Beijing was built for the Olympic and Paralympic Games of 2008. This modern complex represents a contemporary architectural approach as compared to the more traditional buildings that dominate the city. Among its signature items are the iconic Bird's Nest, otherwise known as the main Olympic stadium, and the beautiful Water Cube 鈥� the Aquatics Center for water sports.
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.6 Km or 3.5 Miles

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