The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics are officially behind us, but we couldn’t resist giving the games’ stunning architecture a proper send-off. While some of the venues weren’t exactly “new” — the Beijing National Stadium, for example — they still stand out as being some of the most impressive design gems ever to host the global sporting event.
Next time you watch those stunning triple axles and gnarly tricks from the skiers and boarders, take note of the following architectural marvels:
The Beijing National Stadium

Built ahead of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, the Beijing National Stadium (also known as the Bird’s Nest), was conceived by the inventive Swiss architecture studio Herzog & Meuron. Following the Olympic Committee’s decision to start reusing venues for a more eco-friendly, sustainable approach, the National Stadium has the distinction of being the only stadium to host both winter and summer Olympics. In addition to its unique shape and dynamic design, the Bird’s Nest also just so happens to be the world’s largest steel structure — making it the ideal place to host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2022 Olympics within its illuminated latticed walls.
National Speed Skating Oval

Designed by architecture studio Populous (themselves no strangers to spectacular stadiums), the National Speed Skating Oval is one of only a few new structures built for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Built on...