| The Beijing National Aquatics Center 北京国家游泳中心 (Běijīng Guójiā Yóuyǒng Zhōngxīn) hosted the swimming and diving competitions. It is affectionately called the "Water Cube" or 水立方 (shuǐ lìfāng) in both English and Chinese. Above, the sun shines through the translucent skin. Below, a view up through the roof.
The construction began in 2003 and the complex was finished at the end of 2007. It seats a total of 17,000 spectators, but usually only 6,000 seats are in place. Construction costs were in the neighborhood of 684 million yuan or 100 million dollars.
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