The best Olympic Stadium ever?

[kuquito]

I like the Berlin Stadium the best.

[Overground]

So what's this poll based on? Architectural design, atmosphere, attendance? If it's involving the latter two than obviously Beijing shouldn't even be looked at. I'll base my answer to the poll on previous Olympics, that I've witnessed, and what I'd say was a complete package for hosting the Games.

Sydney
Montreal
Seoul
LA '84

[longscorp]

1-1972 Munich !
2-Beijing 2008
3- ...

[UK Resident]

Originally Posted by Overground

So what's this poll based on? Architectural design, atmosphere, attendance? If it's involving the latter two than obviously Beijing shouldn't even be looked at. I'll base my answer to the poll on previous Olympics, that I've witnessed, and what I'd say was a complete package for hosting the Games.

Sydney
Montreal
Seoul
LA '84

Use you common sense! If Beijing is included on this poll, then it's obviously something to do with it's built form!!!

Secondly, you've registered onto an architectural forum, so go figure!!!!

[UK Resident]

Originally Posted by UK Resident

Use you common sense! If Beijing is included on this poll, then it's obviously something to do with it's built form!!!

Secondly, you've registered onto an architectural forum, so go figure!!!!

I'm not surprised that Beijing and Munich are at the top! Both are easily the most iconic and yet so different to each other. Totally original.

[Essierules]

Originally Posted by LPCQ

1. Beijing 2008
2. Munich 1972
3. Athens 2004

X 2

[GEwinnen]

The very last medals of the Beijing Games:-)

Competition: The best Olympic Stadium ever

3rd and winner of the Bronze Medal - Stadium Australia- the Olympic Stadium of the XXVIIth Olympic Games in Sydney 2000- representing Australia

2nd and winner of the Silver Medal - the good old lady in the modern dress - Olympic Stadium Munich - XXth Olympic Games in Munich 1972- representing Germany

1st, winner of the Gold Medal and Olympic Champion - National Stadium or Bird's Nest - the Olympic Stadium of the XXIXth Olympic Games in Beijing 2008- representing China

The anthem for the winner:-)

[Yrmom247]

I'm so sad. This truly was the greatest games ever. I use to think Salt Lake 2002 was. I'm so sad that it's over and that my DVR has such a small capacity.

[Avatar]

Originally Posted by Walbanger

The Sydney cauldron lighting jammed, thats why it was slow and clunky. Cathy Freeman just had to stand there and play cool while half a dozen workers fixed the darn thing in the dark behind the waterfall. I laughed out aloud to ease the awkward tension.

Yes this is true, the cauldron disc did jam upon attachement to the conveyor that would eventually take it up the slop to its final mounting place. Unfortunately there was electrical interference from media equipment that sent the electronics into a spin and the mechanism had to be started manually. It was a real disappointment it detracted from the spectacle. Still not many know the unit manfunctioned.

[Avatar]

I must question why the greeks are so helbent on posting 1 billion images of their stadia and venues.

I also question why they continue to slam Australians, Sydney and almost everything else. I don't see any vitriolic Aussie's sprouting patriotic shit in this thread. It really reminds me of all the old threads back in 2004 where there was constant ill-informed bickering and obnoxious comments and rudeness. People will like what they like, they will base it on their own point of view. If someone prefers a stadium over another it's their perogative.

By the way, the stunning Beijing WaterCube was designed by Australian architects.

[conorworld]

I find the Beijing Stadium architecturally wonderful but bereft of, I don't know, a certain atmospheric je ne sais quoi. You get the feeling that it is DESPERATE to make a statement, which it does but it lacks a heart.

I think there is a bias towards the size/technological aspects of the stadium and not the esthetics and overall flair of the stadia.

There is a wonderful quirkeyness to the Stockholm stadium. It almost feels like a castle.

The Berlin stadium is impressive in its scape and impression. It makes a statement, a statement obviously but not always justififyingly tainted by the Nazis. Thinking about the future the roof put on it in 2006 showed the versatility of the design. It still looks impressive and modern but also knowingly keeps a foot in the past.

Munich is quite interesting. A deceptive design creates a very open feel. The design was a big change from the past and looking at photos now it blended in with the greenery of the Olympic complex. So thinking about the environment it encapsulates should be taken into account and it is wonderful. It embraces the German love of the outdoors. It almost feels like a camping trip and the comradery of that too. It is a design that is different compared to the rest.

You have to give some credit to Montreal for their stadium. They were bold. They paid for it but I had the chance to visit it a few months back in late February in the snow and it looked and felt like an alien spaceship had landed in Quebec. It was quite something. It is as close to Beijing's Birds Nest in statement as you can get. I liked it but again it lacked something. But fair game for Montreal for making it, even if they don't feel that way!

Barcelona did a great job restoring the old stadium and its position on MOntjuic cant be beaten. It blended the old and new well just as the Berlin stadium has now and that should be credit to the design of the original building and also the restoration. Its a wonderful stadium.

Sydney just looks bland and bombastic at the same time. Nothing special of the design. It maybe big but thats its only redeemable feature.

I really like Athens and that is a credit to Santiago Calatrava. Its a wonderfully organic structure, light yet sumptuous. It gleams. It looks like a traditional stadium in design but it doesn't. More like a bird nestling its eggs of a track under its vast, light and welcoming wings. It had a wonderful way of illiciting a unique sense of atmosphere when I was watching the Olympics back then.

So in that sense I am going t do my own Olympic medals system. And a controversial decision.

Bronze-Beijing
Its bold, its brash, it catches your attention but lacks anything else other than a need to make a statement

Silver-Munich
It was a nice decision to take a different idea to a covering and blended in well with the rest of the area. It is different without the desire in its design to make that an issue.

Gold-Athens
It encapsulates a lot of what a stadium is while keeping a welcoming, open, airy feel. It keeps a traditional style of stadia but gives it sleeky, curvy features. It is not a cauldron which can be overwhelming. It is simple yet sophisticated with a hint of tradition, just like the Olympics itself.

Now feel free to rip me up. I'll take it like a good sport so play fair! Ha ha

[Bigmac1212]

Why all the hatred with Atlanta? Considering that the NFL Atlanta Falcons already have the Georgia Dome, it makes no sense in building an outdoor football stadium. It's not like Georgia Tech is moving to the Olympic stadium. Plus, what about the Braves? Should they be forced to stay at the cookie-cutter Altanta Fulton County Stadium? Or is it (dramatic pause) it didn't have a complete roof?

[theespecialone]

Originally Posted by conorworld

I find the Beijing Stadium architecturally wonderful but bereft of, I don't know, a certain atmospheric je ne sais quoi. You get the feeling that it is DESPERATE to make a statement, which it does but it lacks a heart.

I think there is a bias towards the size/technological aspects of the stadium and not the esthetics and overall flair of the stadia.

There is a wonderful quirkeyness to the Stockholm stadium. It almost feels like a castle.

The Berlin stadium is impressive in its scape and impression. It makes a statement, a statement obviously but not always justififyingly tainted by the Nazis. Thinking about the future the roof put on it in 2006 showed the versatility of the design. It still looks impressive and modern but also knowingly keeps a foot in the past.

Munich is quite interesting. A deceptive design creates a very open feel. The design was a big change from the past and looking at photos now it blended in with the greenery of the Olympic complex. So thinking about the environment it encapsulates should be taken into account and it is wonderful. It embraces the German love of the outdoors. It almost feels like a camping trip and the comradery of that too. It is a design that is different compared to the rest.

You have to give some credit to Montreal for their stadium. They were bold. They paid for it but I had the chance to visit it a few months back in late February in the snow and it looked and felt like an alien spaceship had landed in Quebec. It was quite something. It is as close to Beijing's Birds Nest in statement as you can get. I liked it but again it lacked something. But fair game for Montreal for making it, even if they don't feel that way!

Barcelona did a great job restoring the old stadium and its position on MOntjuic cant be beaten. It blended the old and new well just as the Berlin stadium has now and that should be credit to the design of the original building and also the restoration. Its a wonderful stadium.

Sydney just looks bland and bombastic at the same time. Nothing special of the design. It maybe big but thats its only redeemable feature.

I really like Athens and that is a credit to Santiago Calatrava. Its a wonderfully organic structure, light yet sumptuous. It gleams. It looks like a traditional stadium in design but it doesn't. More like a bird nestling its eggs of a track under its vast, light and welcoming wings. It had a wonderful way of illiciting a unique sense of atmosphere when I was watching the Olympics back then.

So in that sense I am going t do my own Olympic medals system. And a controversial decision.

Bronze-Beijing
Its bold, its brash, it catches your attention but lacks anything else other than a need to make a statement

Silver-Munich
It was a nice decision to take a different idea to a covering and blended in well with the rest of the area. It is different without the desire in its design to make that an issue.

Gold-Athens
It encapsulates a lot of what a stadium is while keeping a welcoming, open, airy feel. It keeps a traditional style of stadia but gives it sleeky, curvy features. It is not a cauldron which can be overwhelming. It is simple yet sophisticated with a hint of tradition, just like the Olympics itself.

Now feel free to rip me up. I'll take it like a good sport so play fair! Ha ha

fair enough

hmmmm i think

Bronze-Sydney
Silver-Munich
Gold-Beijing

[Knitemplar]

Originally Posted by Bigmac1212

Why all the hatred with Atlanta? Considering that the NFL Atlanta Falcons already have the Georgia Dome, it makes no sense in building an outdoor football stadium. It's not like Georgia Tech is moving to the Olympic stadium. Plus, what about the Braves? Should they be forced to stay at the cookie-cutter Altanta Fulton County Stadium? Or is it (dramatic pause) it didn't have a complete roof?

A lot of these people here TALK BIG -- which is easy to do if it's NOT your money that you're spending.

[Avatar]

Originally Posted by conorworld

Sydney just looks bland and bombastic at the same time. Nothing special of the design. It maybe big but thats its only redeemable feature.

I am not one of those crazy freaks that can't see the beauty of the Calatrava roof on the Athens venue, I applaud the engineering might of the Beijing stadium but I find uniformed comments a little laughable. Stadium Australia I agree was a little bland and but it wasn't designed for beauty it was designed for functionality. Many stadiums have copied certain elements of the design including the saddle roof-shape.

Some of you simply don't understand it was built to cater to various competition and sport after the event and has a reconfigurable shape. Some thought did go into the technical side of the stadium. So the pitch can be oval in shape for athletics and AFL and rectangular for soccer and rugby. the entire lower stand sections are motorised and can be reconfigured in 15 minutes.

It is unfortunate some the alternative and more expensive designs were not chosen they were far more ambitious in appearance. I guess at the end of the day Sydney was under strict NSW government budgetry contraints so we got function over form.



This was much more exciting

[ona]

Based on the forumers poll...
Congartulations to the following:
Bird's Nest - Best Olympic Stadium for the 21st Century!

Munich stadium - Best Olympic Stadium for the 20th Century!

[jerseyboi]

beijing birds nest was good but the London 'trifle bowl' will be interesting.....

[kuw01medan]

Originally Posted by jerseyboi

beijing birds nest was good but the London 'trifle bowl' will be interesting.....

Like other Stadium, Nothing special!!!!

[ona]

I think one thing special about that stadium is the LCD display around the stadium.

[Wezza]

Beijing, without a doubt.