Oly Fan Survey: Stadiums

[Sir Rols]

Okay, next: stadiums...

A few notes - I had to split it up into two, the classics before most of us here can personally remember a games, and the more moderns. I was going to try to do all the Winter stadiums as well, but that it too many, a lo of those were at the base of ski jumps etc, so instead I've just gone with the two most recent definite WOG Olympic Stadiums. If you like any of the others, specify and show us. LA I've put down once for both of it's hostings.

For Rio, I've chosen to include Maracana rather than Engenhão because it's the more iconic one, and I guess as the ceremony venue it will be the stadium most associated as the "official" stadium. I sorta count it like Fisht, for Sochi.

Sorry if the file's big - I didn't want to put the stadiums in too small as thumbnails.

Have fun and argue away!

[intoronto]

FYI, Vancouver's did not look like that until after the Olympics.

[Sir Rols]

FYI, Vancouver's did not look like that until after the Olympics.

Yeah, it was uglier. The MCG is also vastly different now than then. I'm sure a few others as well.

I've gone for the German double - Berlin and Munich. I know the LA Colosseum is also iconic, but I like the classical lines of Berlin better, and it's revamp has shown how timeless it is. Good one Speer!

Munich's I just think is the most ethereal and beautiful of all.

[mr.bernham]

You got Athens wrong, the picture you have is the Velodrome.

[Sir Rols]

You got Athens wrong, the picture you have is the Velodrome.

Okay, I've edited a few of them now.

[baron-pierreIV]

Went for Berlin and Atlanta - the perfect synergistic pair. One built by der Fuhrer; and the other built for der Ted -- plus it's got a very quirky corner!!

[Nacre]

Are we voting based on engineering, appearance, fan or athlete experience?

As somebody who has never had to help pay for it, sit in it or perform in it I like Montreal's stadium. But I'm sure if I were judging the stadiums from the inside I would prefer a more "boring" design like London's various stadia.

[Sir Rols]

Are we voting based on engineering, appearance, fan or athlete experience?

Whatever floats anybody's boat. Totally subjective and personal... as if it could be any other way.

[Olympic Fan Darcy]

Berlin and Beijing.

[aismanggo]

im voting for berlin and beijing..i love berlin clean fine line architecture and the brutalist look of the stadium while beijing with iconic avant garde alien look,which really imposing and have a various faces.

[Athensfan]

I'm voting for LA 1932 as the winner from the earlier era (IMO it should've been listed in both categories or only in the earlier category). The peristyle is iconic and spectacular. Great integration of the cauldron. It stood the test of time and not only worked in 1984, it has the potential to do so again.

Honorable mention: Athens' Panathinaiko. Such a cool ancestor of our modern stadiums. What's not to love?

For the later era, my vote goes to Athens. I was torn here and almost picked Beijing, but the airy elegance and light simplicity of Athens won me over. I also love the way the cauldron was integrated into the design. Bonus points for using an existing stadium as the foundation.

Honorable mention to Beijing for their unforgettable and impressively original Bird's Nest.

PS: if you like LA 1932 for the earlier candidate, vote "other".

[Rob2012]

Deutsch Doppel for me too.

The '36 stadium as a monument to Hitler's hubris. It's an impressive stadium which has reinvented itself recently, but this gets my vote mainly because of its history.

The '72 stadium is a more honest architectural statement, and still looks fresh and modern 42 years later in many respects. I'm not sure many stadiums you can say that of.

[thatsnotmypuppy]

Beijing and Helsinki. I just love the Olympic Tower.

[gotosy]

Berlin and Munich

[StefanMUC]

I'm going all Tony now, but My Munich clearly has the most beautiful stadium!

And I've been on top of the tower in Helsinki, so that gets an honourable mention too.

[Palette86]

Antwep 1920.

Munich 1972.So clean,so beautiful.

[olympiaki-agones]

Berlin set a classic style for future stadia. Athens 2004 was also beautiful and really ad doc for depicting classical and contemporary Olympics.

[zekekelso]

I'm always torn on Berlin. On the one hand, all the iconagraphy, imagery, style etc. were just so perfect and set the standard all future games have to live up to. On the other hand, Hiter. Can we really see the first hand objectively while ignoring the other?

[Rob2012]

I'm always torn on Berlin. On the one hand, all the iconagraphy, imagery, style etc. were just so perfect and set the standard all future games have to live up to. On the other hand, Hiter. Can we really see the first hand objectively while ignoring the other?

I don't think it needs to be ignored; besides which, of course, Jesse Owens means this is perhaps the most visible monument to the folly of Hitler's ideas of racial supremecy. I also like the fact that this stadium wasn't Hitler's final Olympic Stadium. He tried to build a much, much bigger one and wanted the German Empire to host every Games in it, but the only part of it that was built sunk into the ground as it was too heavy.

Architecturally, of course, it's iconic. But then again, parts of it are also gross and laughable. The human statues outside the stadium which are meant to show off German power look like faintly ridiculous parodies of classical Roman statues. It's iconic but disingenuous architecture.

I did the tour a few years ago, and the whole place is just fascinating...and that's because of its history.

These things are tricky though; I know what you mean. The Pyramids were built by slaves but it was so long ago it bothers nobody. On the other hand I was watching a show where some people were driving across an epic road in Russia underneath which is buried the bodies of hundreds of thousands of Stalin's prisoners who'd built it. That gave me the creeps. And I'd listen to Wagner (well, as much as I could put up with) despite him being a known anti-semite and some of his music containing anti-semetic ideas, but I'd feel dirty listening to Gary Glitter!

[Tony E Loves Architecture]

I voted for Wembley Stadium London 1948 and London 2012 Olympic Stadium.

[zekekelso]

but I'd feel dirty listening to Gary Glitter!

Not sure what things are like "across the pond," but you can't go to a hockey game in North America (or most any other sport these days) without hearing Gary Glitter.

[StefanMUC]

^^ Wow, I'm shocked.

Well, that was in reply to Tony's voting revelation!

[reindeer]

I like Athens' ancient elegance, Berlin's timeless grandeur that works as well in modern times after renovation, Munich's airy, innovative and light beauty, Barcelona's classic style and Sydney's colossal size. Should also mention Beijing's unique design.

In the end I voted for Athens and Munich.

[runningrings]

Pre 1968 : Helsinki 1952. Beautiful - disappointed Melbourne couldn't have offered something similar four years later.

Post 1972: Munich 1972. No reason needed. Impossible task to surpass IMO.

Honourable mention to Athens 1896, Los Angeles 1932/84, Berlin 1936, Tokyo 1964, Mexico City 1968, Barcelona 1992, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.

[olympiaki-agones]

Actually I must confess I quite fancy Atlanta's stadium. Maybe the shape made it interesting and singular to these Olympics.