baron-pierreIV Posted November 4, 2008 Report Share Posted November 4, 2008 It is all personal taste. Subjective.Athens is an interesting case. It is really just a concrete bowl. But add a fancy roof from a star-chitect, and voila! something interesting. But in 1997, while it had good symmetry, it was nothing special at all. Minus the roof, and with those 2 apertures at both ends, the Berlin Olympic Stadium immediately came to mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord David Posted November 4, 2008 Report Share Posted November 4, 2008 It is all personal taste. Subjective.Athens is an interesting case. It is really just a concrete bowl. But add a fancy roof from a star-chitect, and voila! something interesting. But in 1997, while it had good symmetry, it was nothing special at all. With all that room for expansion, Athens' Olympic Stadium could have been easily upgraded with a 3rd tier, easily providing an imposing 80,000-100,000. Then you would put a slight reconfiguration of that futuristic roof over it. Well they chose not to do so on the grounds that capacity was sufficient. Well kudos, we'd then would have had a potential 90,000 odd seater that was half full for most athletics events! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted November 6, 2008 Report Share Posted November 6, 2008 With all that room for expansion, Athens' Olympic Stadium could have been easily upgraded with a 3rd tier, easily providing an imposing 80,000-100,000. Then you would put a slight reconfiguration of that futuristic roof over it.Well they chose not to do so on the grounds that capacity was sufficient. Well kudos, we'd then would have had a potential 90,000 odd seater that was half full for most athletics events! well, plus if you added a 3rd, bigger ring, the stresses and dynamics on an expanded roof would've been much larger and of a different scale than what they had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexjc Posted November 10, 2008 Report Share Posted November 10, 2008 I liked Barcelona, what a view!! And the fact it had to wait some 60 years to host! Atlanta 96 - totally forgettable! like the games it's self. Sydney - typically over the top like Montreal, but at least Sydney has gone on to a very successful afterlife as a football stadium. Los Angeles Collosieum, a 1930's classic brought back to the modern era - In fact the first stadium of the modern commercial era!!! Place in History assured. I can still see President Regan opening the games and then at the closing saying "eat your heart out Russia - and we're bombing you in five minutes!" Ha! classic! The Birds Nest - exceptional! coooool! Without the roof, Athens looked kind of neat - Was it a requirnment of the IOC to have a roof placed over or done for looks?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexjc Posted November 10, 2008 Report Share Posted November 10, 2008 Sadly it looks alot worse for wear now - but I'm still amazed that war battered Finland got up the strength to host the first "Proper" post war Olympic Games, especially the Cold War was now in full swing. I love that really cool tower, glad it's still standing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citius Altius Fortius Posted November 10, 2008 Report Share Posted November 10, 2008 Sydney - typically over the top like Montreal, but at least Sydney has gone on to a very successful afterlife as a football stadium. mhh - I wouldn't call Sydney "over the top" - I had been to the Olympic Park in 2007 and I think Telstra Stadium is an "appropriate" stadium for a world metropolis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LA84 Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 Sadly it looks alot worse for wear now - but I'm still amazed that war battered Finland got up the strength to host the first "Proper" post war Olympic Games, especially the Cold War was now in full swing. I love that really cool tower, glad it's still standing. One of my favs. How Helsinki pulled off the games the way they did I dunno - just thoroughly impressed. That tower is still awesome 56 years later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Rols Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 Sydney - typically over the top like Montreal, but at least Sydney has gone on to a very successful afterlife as a football stadium. Like CAF, I don't see what was/is so "over-the-top" about it. If anything, I find Telstra/ANZ a bit underwhelming. Bog standard modern stadium, if you ask me, nothing special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LA84 Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 Only one..... the NEW Berliner Stadium !!!! O.K. - the politicians in California need to look at these pictures to get and idea what to do with the Coliseum! Gorgeous! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob2012 Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 Like CAF, I don't see what was/is so "over-the-top" about it. If anything, I find Telstra/ANZ a bit underwhelming. Bog standard modern stadium, if you ask me, nothing special. It is a bit more bog standard now, but those wings in Games Mode were a great idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 One of my favs. How Helsinki pulled off the games the way they did I dunno - just thoroughly impressed. That tower is still awesome 56 years later. If only Ginger Watkins and her group at ACOG studied the OC footage of Helsinki - and knew a bit about show timing, then they wouldn't have wasted nearly $500K on that hideous tower of Atlanta. If you will look at footage of the Helsinki OC, it shows Paavo Nurmi arriving at the stadium. He lights the ground-level cauldron on the field. Then he passes the torch to that great Finnish-Hawaiian athlete, Hannes Kolehmainen, who now begins the torturous trek up that 21-storey tower. The footage cuts him off right after he turns the 3rd set of stairs -- and is never shown lighting the cauldron at the top. You can imagine he must've taken 15 minutes to get to the top, and disappearing from view at every turn. Apparently, even the cameraman lost interest in that interminable trek. TOTALLY INCORRECT way to light a cauldron -- and which the ACOG organizers only realized late in the game when they had the Erector set already up. They should've called the Baron's-Light-A-Cauldron Consulting Services. And it's a mistake every Organizing Committee will make until they call me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlympicGames Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 Then he passes the torch to that great Finnish-Hawaiian athlete, Hannes Kolehmainen Hawaiian? Are you getting confused with Duke Kahanamoku? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 Hawaiian?Are you getting confused with Duke Kahanamoku? Was Duke also half-Finnish? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlympicGames Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 Was Duke also half-Finnish? Umm no he wasn't, but I've never heard of Hannes Kolehmainen being half Hawaiian, and I was born and raised in Hawai'i. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 OG...just testing you. You passed. CORRECTION: here is the description of how the dual lighting in Helsinki was actually achieved: The 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki started in spectacular fashion with Paavo Nurmi, then aged 55, entering the stadium with the Olympic flame and lighting the cauldron on the ground. Then, young football players carried the torch up to the top of the stadium tower, where another Olympic cauldron was lit by 62-year-old Hannes Kölehmainen. See, the Official OC footage never showed Nurmi passing the torch to anyone else. But of course it made sense that younger bodies would climb up that ridiculous 21 stories -- and awaiting atop (which no ONE saw anyway) was the 62-year old Hannes!! I think Hannes got short-changed in the lighting honors. I wonder how long it took him to get up there + there must've been a medic or 2 in attendance. Really one of the more stupid lighting scenarios ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenadian Posted November 19, 2008 Report Share Posted November 19, 2008 Well, it was only the 3rd time a torch was used and only the 5th time a flame appeared. Back then, too, the ceremonies were not even close to the made-for-tv spectacle they are today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted November 19, 2008 Report Share Posted November 19, 2008 Well, it was only the 3rd time a torch was used and only the 5th time a flame appeared. Back then, too, the ceremonies were not even close to the made-for-tv spectacle they are today. Corrections, K: *4th time -runners lit the cauldron (prev: Berlin, London 48. and Oslo 52) *7th time a flame appeared: Amsterdam 28, LA 32, and Garmisch-P 36 all had cauldrons WITHOUT a final lighter; the above 3, and then Helsinki. Somehow, the Swiss in St. Moritz 48 were either too cheap to buy a cauldron or had a brain fart in their Ceremonial dept. Doncha just luv these GB geeks? *The above info may appear in my Ceremonial book...or NOT -- if I don't find a publisher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenadian Posted November 20, 2008 Report Share Posted November 20, 2008 True...but I guess I was just thinking Summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4gamesandcounting Posted July 7, 2009 Report Share Posted July 7, 2009 Rob you wrote this before the games Beijing's still doesn't do it for me, it's ugly, sorry! Do you still think that or did the Games swing you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob2012 Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 I think it's an amazing piece of architecture and engineering; but I still find it forboding, dark, and, dare I say it, almost "un-Olympic". The Athens and Sydney stadiums worked much better for me. I can't say too much and I can't speak with any real authority as I haven't been in the stadium. Maybe it's more open and airy when you're inside it. But that's my own impression and the increidble events that went on inside it haven't really changed my opinion that much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lehari Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 OG...just testing you. You passed. CORRECTION: here is the description of how the dual lighting in Helsinki was actually achieved: See, the Official OC footage never showed Nurmi passing the torch to anyone else. But of course it made sense that younger bodies would climb up that ridiculous 21 stories -- and awaiting atop (which no ONE saw anyway) was the 62-year old Hannes!! I think Hannes got short-changed in the lighting honors. I wonder how long it took him to get up there + there must've been a medic or 2 in attendance. Really one of the more stupid lighting scenarios ever. When visited the Helsinki Stadium tower I went to the top with the elevator... The tower is 72 meters high. By the way, the stadium was completed in 1938 because Helsinki was chosen to host the 1940 SOG. Now in Finland they are to decide what to do with the old stadium, to demolish it and build a new one or to restore it. I prefere the second option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 When visited the Helsinki Stadium tower I went to the top with the elevator... The tower is 72 meters high. By the way, the stadium was completed in 1938 because Helsinki was chosen to host the 1940 SOG. Now in Finland they are to decide what to do with the old stadium, to demolish it and build a new one or to restore it. I prefere the second option. I sit corrected. I just sent you a PM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIII Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 I want to take a sh** on the Beijing stadium! It looks like an amazing bed pan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 I want to take a sh** on the Beijing stadium! It looks like an amazing bed pan! III, goes to show where your mind is!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lehari Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 I sit corrected. I just sent you a PM. Did you receive my PM? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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