The National Stadium in Beijing is located in the centre of the Olympic complex to the north of the city. In tackling the project, the greatest concern was to deliver a design that would be functional beyond the 2008 Games, and to build a new style of urban location that would attract and generate public life. From a distance the stadium looks like a vessel with a wavy rim, but you can also make out clearly the grid-like structure of its load-bearing frame. This structure not only envelops the building volume, it also seems to penetrate it. As the observer approaches, the clear outline seen from afar divides up into a series of large, individual components, forming what seems to be a chaotic thicket of columns, beams and staircases. This envelope is both structure and ornament, and also a link between the city and the arena. It is a Piranesean space where people meet in bars, restaurants, shops and on viewing platforms.