BEIJING, March 26) -- Of the three competition venues situated on the Olympic Green, only the Tennis Center has undergone changes necessary to transform from a temporary venue to a permanent one.
    After the Olympic Games, the Olympic Green Tennis Center will serve as a national training base for Chinese tennis players and offer Beijing residents a place to play tennis.
    Located in the southern end of the Olympic Green, the Tennis Center will host the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic tennis competitions, featuring 10 competition courts and six practice courts, with a total seating capacity of 17,400.
    The three main competition courts feature a 12-sided shape to offer 12 viewing angles.
    "The cement exterior wall of the Tennis Center will remain unpainted to show off the natural gray color of the concrete, which will beautifully complement the colors of the finished Olympic Green," according to Mr. Sun Yangchao, who is in charge of the Tennis Center's construction.
    Keeping the walls natural complies with some of the basic tenets of athletics - environmental protection and conservation.