A contract to supply general lighting in the National Stadium, the iconic Bird’s Nest, is among a range of lighting contracts secured by GE for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. GE recently announced it is working on over 335 infrastructure projects for the Beijing Games including a variety of lighting installations.
The National Stadium will host the opening and closing ceremonies as well as athletics and soccer events. GE is working with the stadium’s architects Hertzog and de Meuron to implement their high aesthetic goals and the need to minimise energy. The interior lighting design is intended to ensure that light remains as invisible as possible, while revealing the building to its visitor in a visually pleasing manner. To achieve this, fixtures are integrated within and behind structures, and the use of compact fluorescent minimises energy use while maximising the architectural aesthetic.
GE is supplying its environmentally sound LED street lighting fixtures to the Fengtai Softball Field, the site of the 2006 World Softball Championships. GE LED lights are also being used as part of a contract to supply venue lighting at the headquarters building for the Beijing Organising Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG). The GE lights are used to illuminate the building and the Beijing 2008 logo.
GE sports lighting will be featured at various venues including the National Aquatics Centre, the state of the art swimming centre known as the Water Cube.  GE will provide the technology as a solution for both the main overhead floodlights as well as the lighting required for the theatrical presentation of the sport including the quality of HDTV pictures. They are also providing lighting to the National Indoor Stadium which will host gymnastics, trampoline and handball; Chaoyang Park, the venue for Beach Volleyball events; the Olympic Green Tennis Centre; and the Beijing Shooting Range Hall.
Eddie Guest of GE-Lighting commented: “We are pleased that we have been able to develop a number of very innovative lighting schemes for the world class venues at the Beijing Games.”
GE also is providing Beijing Games organisers with solutions across the transportation, security, energy, water and healthcare sectors.
