Deconstructing Olympic Architecture

The Olympics are an epic event held every 4 (realistically 2, but who watches the Winter Games that closely) years where the greatest athletes on the planet compete to see who the greatest swimmer, gymnast, and badminton player is. It is also an event where the world’s premier architecture firms bid to design some of the most stunning visual displays ever before witnessed. For two weeks, the city of London was in the global spotlight and we saw its impressive modern Olympic architecture structures combined with its elegant classical architecture.

One of the major problems these buildings, cities, and countries face is the Olympic aftermath. After all of the athletes return to their home countries, host cities and nations are saddled with ridiculous amounts of debt and structures that predominantly go unused. One of the key elements of design we employ for every project is sustainability. Unfortunately, the Olympic Planning Committee cares more about getting the competition started on time than about making sure the buildings are properly maintained and used in the future.

One notorious example of buildings rusting without use comes from the Beijing 2008 Olympics, where the impressive “Bird’s Nest” Olympic Stadium sits idle and unkempt without a use. While China, as a global economic powerhouse, can afford to spend their capital and use the stadium as a gigantic PR stunt, countries such as Greece go bankrupt and bring the rest of the world’s economy down with them after the games end. According to The Wall Street Journal, the new buildings cost an estimated $7 - $14 billion, put the Eurozone in trouble, and provided unused eyesores as a reminder of the country’s stagnant economy.

 

The Abandoned Galasti Hall Once Housed Rhythmic Gymnastics and Table Tennis

 

In Washington D.C.’s failed attempt at an Olympic bid for the 2012 Olympics, Mayor Anthony Williams suggested building an 85,000 capacity venue where outdated RFK Memorial Stadium currently resides. According to sports columnist Thom Loverro, the idea was to create a place that could hold some of the world’s elite track & field events, soccer matches, and become a future home for the NFL’s Redskins.

In reality the building would only host 15,000 fans for Washington United soccer games, Monster Truck Rallies, but not the Redskins who have a contract with their existing stadium until 2027. Luckily this political plan was foiled, and the city of Washington D.C. avoided another blow to its already struggling economy. Not to bash soccer, but an 85,000 capacity venue in the United States seems like the opposite of sustainable Olympic architecture.

While the London 2012 Olympics may seem like the opposite of sustainable architecture, there is one major difference. Architects and engineers designed most of the buildings to be reused, deconstructed, and recycled in order to cut down on costs and allow poorer cities to purchase the materials in order to have a chance at hosting the games. They have created an Olympic Stadium in levels that can simply be removed, and a basketball arena that uses half the material of similar structures and can be easily transported across oceans.  

London Olympic Stadium

Because of the innovations of London, the days of structures putting cities in debt and lying dormant may be replaced with a “traveling circus” style Olympiad. Time will tell if the London Olympic architecture model actually works, but it is a good start to a more sustainable event.