Guangdong Olympic Stadium

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Guangdong Olympic Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Guangzhou, China, 100 miles north of Hong Kong. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium was built in 2001 and holds 80,012.

The Guangdong Olympic Stadium was opened to the public for the ninth National Games of the People's Republic of China in 2001. It was originally planned to be the centerpiece of the 2008 Summer Olympics until a decision was made to construct the National Stadium in Beijing. The original design for the Guangdong Olympic Stadium was announced in 1999. Taking from Guangzhou's nickname, the Flower City, the American architectural firm of Ellerbe Becket designed Guangdong Olympic Stadium to resemble a flower. The design firm stated in its press release: "The stadium bowl grows out of the ground to a sculpted upper edge, like the petals of a flower. Floating above the bowl is a shimmering ribbon of roof flowing like a wave over the seats. It parts at the ends and holds the Olympic flame, suspended between the two ribbons. A hotel surrounds a circular opening in the roof that forms a vertical tower of light, which at night is visible for a great distance. The roof form undulates, making it different from any other stadium in China or the world."