The Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, hosted the opening and closing ceremonies and track and field events of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. It was designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron to resemble a bird's nest built of interlocking curved steel beams and metal wire. Construction took five years and involved over 42,000 tons of steel. The stadium seats 80,000-91,000 people and its intricate steel structure was assembled on site using hydraulic jacks before being stabilized. The stadium's design was inspired by nesting birds and Chinese philosophy of balance, and it has become an iconic symbol of Beijing and the 2008 Olympics.