Foreign design firms have become a major force in the international design competition for two main Olympic venues for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

This is putting the pressure on domestic firms eager to be a part of Beijing's massive Olympic venue construction plan. The plan includes 37 stadiums and gymnasiums and 59 training venues.

Altogether 177 individuals and companies had entered the contest before the 5:00 pm application deadline yesterday. Of the 151 entries targeting the Beijing Olympic Green, which will include an 80,000-seat stadium, 106 are from foreign countries and China's Hong Kong and Taiwan regions.

Of the 142 going for the Wukesong Cultural and Sports Center, 99 are from the Chinese mainland.

Many major architectural firms, such as US-based Sasaki Associates and Hellmuth, Obata-Kassabaum (HOK) International, which designed for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, are in the race.

But despite the predominance of overseas applicants, the domestic participants remain confident.

"We will try to add the essence of traditional Chinese culture to our designs to compete against them," said a participant from Beijing who entered the competition yesterday.

Participants now have less than three months before handing in their draft plans to the Beijing Municipal Planning Commission by July 2. A judging group will select one winner for each competition before the end of July.

The final designs for the two venues are to be decided before the end of this year.

The winner of the competition for the Olympic Green will pocket US$250,000, while the top prize for the Wukesong venue is US$80,000.

(China Daily April 16, 2002)