The plan, co-designed by Swiss firm Herzog & De Meuron and China Architecture Design Institute, won 3,506 votes for the first place from more than 6,000 visitors to the six-day exhibition, which closed on Sunday, to become the favorite design of the National Stadium for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

The design stood out with its unique nest-like exterior, which encloses the stadium with curved steel-net walls.

It was also one of the three winners picked by an official evaluation panel from 13 schemes in a design competition prior to the exhibition, which had a total of 13 designs on show to solicit public opinions and suggestions.

The design submitted by the Beijing Architecture Design Institute won 3,472 votes, while 3,454 votes went to the scheme from a consortium of Japanese AXS Co and Tsinghua University Architecture Design Institute.

"It is so beautiful. The longer I watch it, the better I like it," a woman said, standing before the winning architecture model. "It is awfully good."

There was someone in disagreement.

"It is like a bird cage. If I have to see it every time I look out of my window, I am afraid I need to move somewhere else," said a man living near the site of the future National Stadium.

(eastday.com April 2, 2003)