Does the Olympic Stadium in Beijing really look like this?

I've always liked it.

I think it's kind of neat. I like the busyness.

Yeah, I think it's nice - very naturalistic.

I like it, but a bit predictable

There is some pathetic absurdness that fascinates me.

Yeah, I've gotta' agree that the design looks too busy. (Probably looks better in person, though--not as a wee' little "Jay-Peg")

Love the cube, though.

Heh, I'm not so sure if the stadium would look better in person. I think the image I supplied is a photoshopped image as it's an official picture. Images supplied by major media outlets look very different due to the air pollution.

Anyhow, it definitely looks like I'm in a minority! But I wanted to clear up one thing; when I said Chinese architecture, I wasn't talking about stuff like dragons. Anybody who thinks traditional Chinese architecture is all about dragons needs to think again.

What I really dislike is all the glitz. I don't like glamour, and I don't like glitz. It's the sport that should be paramount, not the building that it is housed in.

EDIT:

Here are some non-photoshopped images

That said, the top of it is kind of ugly. It reminds me of an avocado for some reason. Why spend all that money on something that's only going to be seen from aerial views? (And whose money is this anyway?)

I saw them building it last year, and yup, that's what it looks like. I've heard people call it the "bird's nest," and for good reason. I wasn't able to get very close, but it does look pretty cool in person from what I saw (though they hadn't finished it yet).

I'm not surprised they went with ultramodern instead of traditional; they're trying to show the world that they're a modern nation, not a country stuck in the past. They're moving forward, which is kind of a big thing for China; they've spent most of their modern history looking back.