Beijing Games, Water Cube and Bird’s Nest — Cree LEDs on Display

Cree LED technology is lighting up several key venues in Beijing. Two of the most notable installations are in the “Bird’s Nest” (National Stadium) and the “Water Cube” (National Aquatic Centre).

Not only are the lighting effects visually stunning, but it’s also a larger symbol for the “greening” of the global lighting market, a market that has been stagnantly satisfied with the light bulb and – until now – resistant to change for some 100 years.

Fast Facts: Water Cube

Approximately 496,000 Cree XLamp® LEDs in red, green and blue illuminate the exterior of the Water Cube.

The Water Cube is made of 3,000 “bubbles,” each with the ability to display millions of different colors.

The Water Cube displays a different color pattern each evening. The patterns are computer-controlled. The Water Cube is programmed to display different colored designs, including ones inspired by themes including “Blooming Flowers,”” Rainy Day” and “Night at the Disco.”
Modules of 8-16 LEDs are integrated into the steel structure of all four walls and the roof. Each module is uniquely designed to focus the light on the individual bubbles.

The Water Cube design was inspired by soap bubbles.

The bubbles are made of 100,000 square meters of plastic that was originally developed to provide insulation for airplanes.

Each of the 3,000 bubbles in the Water Cube can resist the weight of a car. A piece of the 0.008-inch material can hold up to 300 times its own weight.

The Water Cube’s bubbles trap more heat than glass, reducing total energy requirements by 30 percent. This is the equivalent of mounting solar panels on the roof.

After the games, the Water Cube is to be converted into a multi-functional facility for sports, culture and recreation, including a café and waterslide.

Fast Facts: Bird’s Nest

The Bird's Nest exterior has approximately 258,000 Cree XLamp LEDs providing dramatic lighting effects.

The colors of the exterior lights on the Bird's Nest consist of white, amber and red.

The original lighting design for the structure called for fluorescent fixtures. After the fluorescents were installed, designers didn't like the fixtures' lighting effect. So, they switched to LEDs for purer, brighter light.

Cree LEDs are also used in two installations inside of the Bird's Nest: the video screen behind the main stage, and in the LED scroll lighting up the floor during the Opening Ceremony.