近日，日本举行了许多有关奥运会的文化活动。其中一项是放映电影。8月2日那天，我有机会在东京观看名为《鸟巢》的瑞士文献记录片。这是一部关于北京奥林匹克体育馆设计者的影片。整部影片展示了瑞士建筑师以及中方的相关组织是如何在紧预算、短工期、 语言不通，以及中欧社会经济体系和文化的差异的种种压力之下，完成“鸟巢”这个宏大的工程的。

“鸟巢”的两位主要设计师，来自瑞士的雅克‧赫尔佐格和皮埃尔‧德‧梅隆先生在这部影片中再三说到这个体育场不应该被看作是一种政府或者官僚的政治化的不朽作品，它是为人民而建，服务于广大平民百姓的。因此他们试图在设计上更接近与大众。他们非常希望奥运会结束后，“鸟巢”会对公众开放，人们能在这里遛弯、小憩、聚会玩乐。

体育馆的别名 “鸟巢”，并不是瑞士建筑师起的，而来自于中国人民。它意味着中国人民接受了在中国文化背景下的这种体育馆的设计风格。影片同时也展示了欧洲人是怎样理解中国文化以及日新月异的生活方式，正是这种与时俱进为建筑工作提供了巨大的机会。不管怎么说，北京奥运会给我们，这些中国人和外国人，很好的机会去增进了解。我希望中国人民能够证实这个体育馆是受大家欢迎的，是跨文化交流的成功典范。（前日本驻华大使馆新闻文化中心公使 井出敬二）

How Swiss architects of “Bird’s Nest” see the Olympic Games in China

        In Japan these days there are many cultural events related to the Olympic Games.  One of such events is showing of movies.  The Swiss documentary film, titled “Bird’s Nest - Herzog and de Meuron in China”, which is about the architects of the Beijing Olympic Stadium, was released on August 2 in Tokyo and I had a chance to see this film.  The film shows how the big project to build this gigantic construction “Bird’s Nest” has been done by cooperation of Swiss architects and Chinese related organizations, overcoming budgetary constraints, short period of construction work, communication problem, differences of culture and social/economic system, etc between China and Europe.  

        Two main architects of “Bird’s Nest”, Mr. Herzog and Mr. de Meuron of Switzerland repeatedly say in this movie that this stadium should not be taken as a kind of political monument of the government or bureaucrats, but it is constructed for the people, and it should be used by ordinary citizens.  Therefore they tried to design this stadium very accessible to people.  They strongly wish that after the Olympic Games, “Bird’s Nest” will be open to the public and it will become the place for ordinary people to drop into, take rest, get together and play together. 

        The nickname of the stadium “Bird’s Nest” was not originally invented by the Swiss architects, but by Chinese people.  It means Chinese people accepted the design of the stadium in Chinese cultural context.  This film also shows how Europeans understand Chinese culture and way of life, which is dynamically changing and presents great opportunity for architectural work.  In anyway, the Beijing Olympic Games gives us - Chinese and foreigners - good chance to know each other and understand deeper.  I wish that Chinese people will prove that this stadium is loved by the people and this construction is a successful example of the international cultural exchanges.

        (Note: The directors of the film are Mr. Christoph Schaub and Mr. Michael Schindhelm.)