Beijing’s Empty Bird’s Nest Stadium Looks To The Arts For Help

Since the Summer Games ended in August, Beijing’s Bird’s Nest stadium has suffered a fate that is all too common among former Olympic venues around the world: neglect. A lack of bookings means the stadium (designed by Herzog & de Meuron) remains empty most of the time. Business is so meager that there are even plans to turn parts of the structure into a shopping center. So today’s news that Chinese auteur Zhang Yimou will restage his famous production of Puccini’s “Turandot” at the stadium in October comes as a noteworthy development.