01. Juni 2005  
Beijing / China  
Artistic Gymnastics

BEIJING 2008: Work Begins On National Indoor Stadium

Venue for rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and handball

Groundbreaking...
Work has begun on the new National Indoor Stadium in Beijing following a groundbreaking ceremony on 28 May 2005.
This is the sixth venue for the 2008 Games to be built since Beijing was awarded the Games in Moscow in 2001. The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by BOCOG President Mr. Liu Qi and Beijing Mayor and BOCOG Executive President Mr. Wang Qishan.

Beijing: Groundbreaking Ceremony for Olympic Indoor Stadium (28-May-2005)

The National Indoor Stadium will be the competition venue for the sports of gymnastics (artistic gymnastics is at another venue) and handball.
This construction project mainly consists of a main structure and a warm-up gym nearby and other outdoor facilities. It occupies a total area of 6.87 hectares, with the overall construction space of about 80,900 square meters. The seating capacity of the National Indoor Stadium is 18,000.

The creative design of the Indoor Stadium originates from a Chinese traditional folding fan. The construction of the venue will fully demonstrate the three concepts of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, namely Green Olympics, Hi-tech Olympics, and People’s Olympics, and it will be implemented in an economical way. Besides, the construction will fully consider the combination of function, environment friendliness and artistic design, and the post-game use, which will help to make ensure it not only meets the competition requirements but also lays a strong emphasis on energy-saving and environment friendliness.

After the 2008 Olympic Games, the National Indoor Stadium will become first-class sports facilities for the local people, with both sports competition and entertainment functions.

The venue is owned by Guoao Investment, which is selected through global bidding.
The National Indoor Stadium was the sixth Olympic competition venue that starts construction, following the National Aquatic Center, the National Stadium, Laoshan Velodrome, Beijing Shooting Range, Wukesong Sports and Culture Center.
BOCOG website