BERLIN - Olympiastadion (74,064)

[erbse]

Basic information provided by Wiki:

The Olympiastadion (Olympic Stadium) is a sports stadium in Berlin. There have been two stadia on the site: the present facility, and one that was built for the aborted 1916 Summer Olympics. Both were designed by members of the same family, the first by Otto March and the second by his son Werner March.

The current Olympiastadion surrounded by the massive Olympischer Platz was originally built for the 1936 Summer Olympics. During World War II these buildings suffered little damage. After the war, the United Kingdom military occupation used it as its headquarters until 1994.

Aside from its use as an Olympic stadium, the Olympiastadion has a strong footballing tradition. Historically, it's the ground of club Hertha BSC of Berlin. It was also used for 3 matches in the 1974 FIFA World Cup. It hosted six matches, including the final, in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and was renovated for that reason. The German Cup final match is held each year at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.

And some additional photos I posted ages ago in another thread. Here we go!

Originally Posted by erbse

[ChilenoFutbol]

Great stadium. i have some pictures that i took, how do i upload from my computer?

[ReiAyanami]

[ReiAyanami]

Awesome footage of the stadium, from 0:40 to the end

[CrayZD]

Originally Posted by obits

i hate those columns

Do you mean the roof support pillars, or the columns that form the exterior facade?

Concerning the support pillars, everything's been said already. They might be a lack of comfort for some spectators. But any other roof support structure, like a ring or exterior pylons that carry the roof by suspension, would have destroyed the classy and elegant look of the stadium... while the present roof design not only retains the historic appearance of the arena, but even amplifies it.

[kazetuner]

[parcdesprinces]

Originally Posted by trmather

To be fair, there isn't much out there that's as classy as the Olympiastadion.

Indeed... I love this stadium and the last renovation was well done !

[mud777]

This stadium is just beautiful.
You can also get some food there and combine
visit and lunch.

[Horatio Caine]

Originally Posted by aus16

i think it is a beautiful stadium but for the history it represents i believe it should be torn down, also i just cant quite understand that in todays excellent engineering times, that there are poles holding up the new roof that clearly obstructs many views

Thats just plain stupid. So we should tear down everything we dont like instead of keeping it and educate our children?

Please, spare us the liberal BS.

[NMAISTER007]

Wow, the Germans like to use grey seats. I mean it looks good, its just they really like grey seats. Also, the Olympic stadium in Kiev is currently being reconstructed for the Euro 2012 tournament. The design that was chosen for the stadium was a Munich one, and the render also shows that the stadium will have grey seats.

[berkshire royal]

Having been to this stadium I have to say that the renovation was done brilliantly. For me this is without doubt both the best renovation done on a stadium in Europe and quite possibly the world and is also the best stadium that was built before the second world war in Europe. An absolute gem the only problem is it's location it feels very out of the way if it was closer to the centre I am sure Hertha could get 60,000+ on a regular basis.

[RobH]

Originally Posted by Horatio Caine

Thats just plain stupid. So we should tear down everything we dont like instead of keeping it and educate our children?

Please, spare us the liberal BS.

Liberal BS? What aus16 is suggesting is blinkered close-mindedness synonymous with the Taliban's actions in destroying Buddhist Statues, or Nazi book burnings, or the destruction of churches in Soviet Russia. In other words, actions taken by the least liberal.

I'd suggest it's because Germany is liberal that the stadium been renovated and kept to educate as well as entertain.

Illiberal views held by people with things to fear are those which lead people to destroy things they are uncomfortable with, or which threaten their world view.

Only a confident liberal society which has made peace with its past, like modern Germany, retains (and improves) painful reminders of it.

[Horatio Caine]

Originally Posted by RobH

...Only a confident liberal society which has made peace with its past, like modern Germany, retains (and improves) painful reminders of it.

I'm not so sure about that. Germany has really sick laws today like prohibiting people from having shirts with two "H" on them (like Helly Hansen) beacuse it could be intepreted as "H*eil H*tler".
If you have nationalistisk views and your more than 8 you have to go in a casual mode, if you walk in "marching style" or on a line, they can catch you.

Really stupid and crazy laws.


Sorry, OT.

[CrayZD]

I have to admit that there are strange laws in Germany to keep neo-Nazis from spreading their ideas in public. Since showing the Hitler salute or a swastika flag is prohibited in Germany, neo-Nazi organisations soon invented strategies to circumvent these laws. For example, they lifted the right arm spreading three fingers off instead of showing the flat hand. The words 'He*l H*tler' were replaced by 'HH' or '88' (for the eighth letter in alphabet). As a consequence, those gestures were forbidden as well.

But it's a kind of myth that Helly Hansen jackets and shirts are prohibited in Germany. They aren't... nor is Lonsdale (very popular in the German neo-Nazi scene, because you can wear a Lonsdale shirt with an open jacket over it so it just shows the letters 'NSDA..').

But that is rather a kind of Nazi paranoia, often criticised in Germany because the neo-Nazi movement gets more public attendance than it deserves when it's permanently seen as a serious threat by politics and media (what it is, of course, when innocent people are attacked... but not when they're showing silly symbols).

Tearing down Nazi buildings is something completely different in my opinion. It would be a kind of wiping out the past so you won't have to remember it. And that would definitely be the wrong way to deal with it.

Originally Posted by berkshire royal

An absolute gem the only problem is it's location it feels very out of the way if it was closer to the centre I am sure Hertha could get 60,000+ on a regular basis.

I doubt that, however. Citizens of Berlin are used to travelling. None of the major sports and event sites are located close to the city center (O2 World, Max Schmeling hall, exhibition grounds...). And judged by the location, Bayern Munich should have an attendance of 10.000 because their new stadium is really in the middle of nowhere.

[erbse]

O2 World isn't located close to the city center? Well, that's something I'd question.


But Berlin doesn't have just one real city center but multiple ones, so it doesn't matter all that much I guess

[trmather]

Originally Posted by NMAISTER007

Wow, the Germans like to use grey seats. I mean it looks good, its just they really like grey seats. Also, the Olympic stadium in Kiev is currently being reconstructed for the Euro 2012 tournament. The design that was chosen for the stadium was a Munich one, and the render also shows that the stadium will have grey seats.

Will you stop invading other threads to promote Ukrainian stadiums please?

[CrayZD]

Originally Posted by erbse

O2 World isn't located close to the city center? Well, that's something I'd question.

But Berlin doesn't have just one real city center but multiple ones, so it doesn't matter all that much I guess

That's the point. Measured from Brandenburg Gate or even from Zoo Station, it's not close at all. If you take Alexanderplatz for the city center (which is probably correct judged by history), then it's just round the corner.

But I think we both agree that among the mentioned sites, it is the most central.

[erbse]

Sure. Anyway, distances don't matter in Berlin. Public transport works excellent, so you can go anywhere you want fast and easily.

And, as you pointed out, the Munich Allianz Arena is literally in the middle of nowhere and they still manage to fill it bis zum Bersten. The fan culture is missing in Berlin, but slowly there's something awakening.

[www.sercan.de]

As far as i know Hitler wanted a 250,000 stadium.
But this one was too "small" for him (I think just 100,000).
So why did't they built a 3rd tier?

[ReiAyanami]

edit