LOS ANGELES - Memorial Coliseum (93,607)

[Bigmac1212]

I often wonder if the Coliseum will ever get renovated. It does seem to look a bit long in the tooth, metaphorically speaking. With the sucess of Southern California football, it seems like a great time to give the facility a much-needed renovation.

[eMKay]

Originally Posted by Bigmac1212

It won't. It's the current home of the University of Southern California (American) Football team. It could use a renovation, but I doubt it will ever be torn down.

So yes, it could easily host another Olympics.

[Marckymarc]

Originally Posted by salaverryo

I can't understand why such a huge crowd for the Dodgers - Red Sox game. Were the tickets cheaper than usual?

1. It was a chance to relive history (Dodgers played there from 1958-61)

2. All proceeds from the game went to ThinkCure organization (Child cancer research)

[merope]

Originally Posted by CharlieP

Strictly speaking, London has already been the official host city for three Olympiads - 1908, 1944 and 1948.

Then Berlin gets two, since it was chosen for 1916, I think, before hosting in 1936. I believe Tokyo also would count for two as it was awarded the 1940 games and hosted in 1964. Chicago would be trying for its second games, as it was awarded the 1904 games, which were then switched to St. Louis to coincide with the World's Fair.

Interestingly, according to Wikipedia, the IOC does consider Stockholm to have been an official host in '56.

[Jim856796]

If I had a project to renovate the Coliseum, I would remove the bottom 14 rows in the stadium and restore the track (and we wouldn't need that stupid Sun Deck anymore), build luxury suites and a roof covering the stands. I would either leave the seating bowl as is or convert the Coliseum into a two- or three-tier stadium.

[buytheredcar]

Originally Posted by Jim856796

If I had a project to renovate the Coliseum, I would remove the bottom 14 rows in the stadium and restore the track (and we wouldn't need that stupid Sun Deck anymore), build luxury suites and a roof covering the stands. I would either leave the seating bowl as is or convert the Coliseum into a two- or three-tier stadium.

Yeah, if there is a third Olympics. The city would have to tear those lower section built for football to make the field larger again..

[Dallas boi]

Originally Posted by Jim856796

If I had a project to renovate the Coliseum, I would remove the bottom 14 rows in the stadium and restore the track (and we wouldn't need that stupid Sun Deck anymore), build luxury suites and a roof covering the stands. I would either leave the seating bowl as is or convert the Coliseum into a two- or three-tier stadium.

All of that would strip the Coliseum's national landmark status.

They heavily renovated Solider Field in Chicago and it was stripped of its national landmark status.

[ryebreadraz]

Originally Posted by Dallas boi

All of that would strip the Coliseum's national landmark status.

They heavily renovated Solider Field in Chicago and it was stripped of its national landmark status.

Not necessarily. When they explored a major renovation years ago they pretty much came to the conclusion that it can keep its landmark status as long as the peristyle remains. For example, this proposal would have still allowed the stadium to keep its status.

[Dallas boi]

Originally Posted by ryebreadraz

Not necessarily. When they explored a major renovation years ago they pretty much came to the conclusion that it can keep its landmark status as long as the peristyle remains. For example, this proposal would have still allowed the stadium to keep its status.

Renovations would have to be complementary to the most identifiable parts of the building so it can keep the National Historic Landmark.

[ryebreadraz]

Originally Posted by Dallas boi

Renovations would have to be complementary to the most identifiable parts of the building so it can keep the National Historic Landmark.

Which was deemed to be the peristyle. They did the work and so long as the peristyle remains and the rest isn't a completely different style, the status stays. You can add tiers, add a small roof, all that stuff that the rendering has and the status stays. Renovations can be done and the historic landmark status is not what keeps the Coliseum from being renovated. It is the Coliseum Commission.

[Kenny]

Originally Posted by Jim856796

If I had a project to renovate the Coliseum, I would remove the bottom 14 rows in the stadium and restore the track (and we wouldn't need that stupid Sun Deck anymore), build luxury suites and a roof covering the stands. I would either leave the seating bowl as is or convert the Coliseum into a two- or three-tier stadium.

I would do the same. Restore the track, keep the bowl, an maybe surround it with luxury boxes on top.

I wouldn't dare touch the peristyle.

I hear people here in LA (mostly people who don't know) saying, "awe, just tear that old thing down".

Sacrilege!!!!

This Grand Old Lady hosted 2 extremely successful Summer Olympics ('32 and '84), the first Super Bowl, and a World Series (1959 Dodgers vs White Sox).


1932 Summer Olympics


1959 World Series


Super Bowl I


1984 Summer Olympics
image hosted on flickr



Some more pics...............

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At the base of the main arch, you can see two big marble blocks....
the one on the right is a piece of the Coliseum in Rome.
And the other from the Altis Olympia, Greece.

image hosted on flickr


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Complete Roster of the Honorees of the 1984 Summer Olympics. Same display on the other end for the 1932 Summer Olympics

image hosted on flickr

[Kenny]

And how could we forget the Los Angeles Swimming Stadium next to it. A historic Art-Deco landmark. Host to the swimming events for both Olympics.


image hosted on flickr


It has been renovated, here you can see the old mixed with the new..

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image hosted on flickr


1932 Summer Olympics



Brand Spanking New Complex (1928)

[ryebreadraz]

Why do we want to bring the track back? There aren't more than a handful of track and field events that would ever be there and they would be things like high school meets that would do so little while making the sightlines worse for all other events. I don't see the use of a track at all except for the memories and that's not near a good enough argument for me to make the stadium a worse place to watch a game.

[Lord David]

The answer is simple, make the field large enough to fit a track (in the event of another Olympics). Renovate the existing skyboxes and perhaps stretch it to the whole curve of the southern part of the stadium (or at least part of it).
To make the coliseum symmetrical again, make an exact copy of this skybox level at the northern part of the stadium.
Skyboxes should be accessible from the stadium outright, not that outside the stadium stairwell/lift idea from the 2016 LA Olympic bid proposal.
Remove the scoreboard and video screen and replace with modern widescreen LCD/LED panels.
Add similar video screens to the west (providing that the skybox level doesn't take up that area).
Refurbish all of the concourses inside (food stalls, toilets, and restaurants if any).
Replace all the seating with a dynamic pattern or design.

Well that's all I can think of, just some general improvements, after all, it won't be the city's NFL stadium, but will see regular use for Collage football games and will definitely be the city's Olympic Stadium again if they win a bid.

[slipperydog]

Originally Posted by Lord David

The answer is simple, make the field large enough to fit a track (in the event of another Olympics). Renovate the existing skyboxes and perhaps stretch it to the whole curve of the southern part of the stadium (or at least part of it).
To make the coliseum symmetrical again, make an exact copy of this skybox level at the northern part of the stadium.
Skyboxes should be accessible from the stadium outright, not that outside the stadium stairwell/lift idea from the 2016 LA Olympic bid proposal.
Remove the scoreboard and video screen and replace with modern widescreen LCD/LED panels.
Add similar video screens to the west (providing that the skybox level doesn't take up that area).
Refurbish all of the concourses inside (food stalls, toilets, and restaurants if any).
Replace all the seating with a dynamic pattern or design.

Well that's all I can think of, just some general improvements, after all, it won't be the city's NFL stadium, but will see regular use for Collage football games and will definitely be the city's Olympic Stadium again if they win a bid.

The most prominent reason a track will not be will not be added is that USC simply does not need it. A track would do nothing to enhance the stadium for USC football, and USC essentially controls any stadium improvements. Cosmetic improvements will continue, but there is no reason for a track. If and when an Olympics ever comes back to LA, they could investigate the possibility at that time.

[Jim856796]

As of this writing, I wouldn't refer to the Memorial Coliseum as a "lady" per se. I would refer to it as a "Grand Old Gentleman" or a "Grand Old Superheavyweight". If I referred to a "gentleman" as a "Grand Old Lady", I would have my @$$ kicked by that gentleman. Not trying to be sexist or anything.

And I feel that the track should not have been removed at all during the mid-90s renovations. Whether USC needs it or not, it shouldn't matter.

[buckeyejim]

Originally Posted by Jim856796

And I feel that the track should not have been removed at all during the mid-90s renovations. Whether USC needs it or not, it shouldn't matter.

A track is only good when used for "track & field". A track forces the first rows way too far from the football field. Ohio Stadium and the Los Angeles Memoral Coliseum are much better football facilities now, since the tracks were removed and the playing fields in both stadiums were lowered.

[schulzte]

How I would rebuild the Coliseum.

http://www.stadiumdrawings.blogspot.com

[Jim856796]

Originally Posted by xlchris

The stadium in 1922. Found on wikipedia;

So the original stands of the LA Coliseum were earth embankments?

[will101]

Originally Posted by Jim856796

So the original stands of the LA Coliseum were earth embankments?

No, the embankment was simply the structural support at the time. During the 1994-95 seismic retrofit, much deeper structural pilings were inserted.