Birds Nest: Herzog and de Meuron in China 2008
Distributed by Icarus Films, 32 Court St., 21st Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201; 800-876-1710
Produced by Marcel Hoehn
Directed by Christoph Schaub and Michael Schindhaim
DVD, color, 88 min.
Sr. High - Adult
Architecture, Cultural Studies, Asian Studies
Date Entered: 01/30/2009
Reviewed by Ronald Saskowski Jr., ASRC Management Services, Atlanta, GABird’s Nest, is an artistic and cultural tour of China showcasing the construction of the famed Olympic stadium. The piece presents a good mix between the architects’ story and the creation of the stadium from conception to completion. While working on the stadium project, Herzog and deMeuron are also asked to present ideas to redesign the city of Jinhua. Jinhua is the ancestral home of the father of Ai Wei Wei, who is interviewed extensively and who assists the architects during the stadium project.
The viewer is treated to beautiful scenes of China and is provided an inside view of Chinese daily life. The well chosen shots contribute to understanding not only the Chinese culture but the principles the architects followed, indirectly explaining the style of Herzog and de Meuron.
The music throughout the video has a distinct Asian flair which lends itself perfectly to the film. The film is subtitled with a small percentage of spoken English. The subtitles are easy to read and do not present an obstacle to viewing the film.
A note about the main menu of the DVD, it is not a menu that is typically found on DVDs. There is not a play option but instead tiles of the various chapters with short descriptions of the phase of the project. By choosing the first chapter, the entire DVD will play. Although not typical, this could be useful when wanting to watch the footage for a particular phase.
Bird’s Nest is highly recommended because it presents a well thought out and executed piece showing the world a bit about the Chinese culture that people may not know. Beyond that, it fantastically provides the viewer a look at the incredible team that is Herzog and de Meuron.
College and university libraries with programs in architecture would greatly benefit from having this in their collection. High schools with programs in architecture would also do well to have this available for their students. This is sure to inspire the young minds and show how architecture and culture must co-exist in order to be beneficial. Architectural societies and organizations should have this available for their membership.