Popularly known as the 'Bird's Nest,' this stadium was the centerpiece of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Its design, a collaboration between Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron and artist Ai Weiwei, consists of a complex web of steel beams that hide the supports for the retractable roof. The 'nest' is made of 42,000 tons of steel, yet it is designed to be earthquake-resistant up to magnitude 8.0. The lattice design was inspired by Chinese ceramics and the concept of 'chaos' within a structured form. To ensure the steel didn't crack during temperature changes, the 24 main columns are not actually connected to the inner concrete bowl of the stadium; they are two independent structures that 'breathe' separately.