BERLIN - Olympiastadion (74,064)

[RobH]

A remarkable place. Host of a World Cup final and an Olympics.

It's a symbol of Nazi Germany and its evil values, the undermining of those values because of what Jesse Owens acheived, and thanks to its modernisation a symbol of modern Germany and the rebirth of a nation. All of these things are present simultaneously in this stadium.

It really is worth a visit if you're in Berlin....and try and get the audio tour if you can.

[GEwinnen]

Originally Posted by thun

It currently looks like a ruin (which it basicall is), to be exactly.
I doubt that it would make sense to renovate and reopen it as a public swimming pool. There are plenty of lakes around and Berlin has a state-of-the-art aquatics centre (with roof) in the Eastern part of the city.

It is still in use as a public swimming pool, the pool is in a good condition.
http://www.berlinerbaederbetriebe.de/index.php?id=115

The complex was refurbished for the 1978 World Aquatics Championships in Berlin:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1978_Wo..._Championships

@RobH:

A remarkable place. Host of a World Cup final and an Olympics.

It's a symbol of Nazi Germany and its evil values, the undermining of those values because of what Jesse Owens acheived, and thanks to its modernisation a symbol of modern Germany and the rebirth of a nation. All of these things are present simultaneously in this stadium.

It really is worth a visit if you're in Berlin....and try and get the audio tour if you can.

Even the British forces loved the Olympiastadion and saved ist from destruction! quote from english wikipedia:

.....The former Reichssportfeld was used as headquarters of the British military occupation forces.
The British forces settled in the northern buildings designed by the March brothers in the 1920s, which the Third Reich had used for official sport organisations such as the Reich Academy of Physical Training and the House of German Sports. Soon, the Occupation started a careful reconstruction of the general facilities. From then until 1994, British forces held an annual celebration of The Queen's Official Birthday in the Maifeld with thousands of spectators from Berlin present.

Some interesting quotes of german officials about the refurbsihed Olympiastadion in 2004:

Peter Steinhorst, chief technician on the project, said to the BBC: "Whenever you enter, you will still know this was the site of the 1936 Games. You will pass all the old Nazi sculptures".

"The history is there, the totality of the buildings is there. The whole Nazi landscape has not disappeared", added the sports sociologist Günther Gebauer. "There are towers like in a fortress, and people who come will always ask where the Führer sat." (The special stand for the "Führer" was demolished by the british forces in 1946)

Germany's Interior Minister Otto Schily, who attended the opening party, concluded: "The stadium recalls the dark elements present in its creation. But in 2006 the world will look upon to modern, democratic, and open Germany".

[thun]

Huh? I thought I had seen it in a TV documentation about the Berlin Olympics and the use of the facilities afterwards as a ruin. So, I was wrong then. Sorry.

[guokang]

Monumental beauty . thanks for the photos

[pamirez]

german cup final: Bayern München - Werder Bremen (4:0)

image hosted on flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/senalob...50287/sizes/l/

image hosted on flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/senalob...68384/sizes/l/

image hosted on flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/senalob...68642/sizes/l/

[Huskies]

temporary stands in the open end ? interesting

[canarywondergod]

Seems a very good use of space. Sort of thing an NFL team would do for a super bowl.

[pawel19-87]

Germany 3-0 Turkey

image hosted on flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/urspruc...n/photostream/

image hosted on flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/urspruch/5067406140/

image hosted on flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sportvment/5070394247/

[Richo83]

Germans at times can be oddly literal, they make a massive banner for the Turkey game that says... home game. O rly?

[SpicyMcHaggis]

Originally Posted by Richo83

Germans at times can be oddly literal, they make a massive banner for the Turkey game that says... home game. O rly?

Maybe you should inform yourself better why they had that written there..

[endrity]

Originally Posted by Richo83

Germans at times can be oddly literal, they make a massive banner for the Turkey game that says... home game. O rly?

http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/ne...d=1310662.html

[Berlin.]

There were more turkish supporters in the stadium than german.

[Jim856796]

This is apparently a photo of Berlin's Olympic Stadium during its reconstruction. There are a lot of spectators at a soccer game in progress. How is this even possible?

[SpicyMcHaggis]

Why not? Happens all the time..

[Jim856796]

No, I meant a game in progress during the reconstruction of the stadium.

[SpicyMcHaggis]

Originally Posted by Jim856796

No, I meant a game in progress during the reconstruction of the stadium.

Like i said, happens all the time in Europe.

[hmueller2]

Well, just take a look at the "Stuttgart" or "Bremen" thread in the under construction section
Like Spicy said it's quite normal here

[Rev Stickleback]

Originally Posted by hmueller2

Well, just take a look at the "Stuttgart" or "Bremen" thread in the under construction section
Like Spicy said it's quite normal here

...although it's worth pointing out that work will not be going on during the hours of the game. No risk of a girder being dropped into a section of supporters.

Originally Posted by RobH

A remarkable place. Host of a World Cup final and an Olympics.

It's a symbol of Nazi Germany and its evil values, the undermining of those values because of what Jesse Owens acheived, and thanks to its modernisation a symbol of modern Germany and the rebirth of a nation. All of these things are present simultaneously in this stadium.

It really is worth a visit if you're in Berlin....and try and get the audio tour if you can.

It's hard to get too wrapped up in such symbolism there when you consider this...

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__...rally_1937.jpg


...is still right next door to Nurnberg's stadium.


Both are really nice stadiums, despite the running tracks.

[R.K.Teck]

Question: Why was this arena allowed to host the 2006 WC Final when it has supports holding up the roof on the top tier, obstructing the views of supporters in the back rows. I thought perfect sightlines were needed for a 5 star stadium?

[GEwinnen]

Originally Posted by R.K.Teck

Question: Why was this arena allowed to host the 2006 WC Final......

.....because it is located in the capital of Germany and it was the largest stadium of the 2006 WC??!!!! Who cares about some columns???

quote of post #17 in this thread, I guess, it will help to understand:

The stadium is under protection because of it's historic and architectural value, so not there were extremely strict regulations abot the modernisation.
The facade of the stadium was not allowed to be changed etc. The roof is very low and what's very important had to remain open at the one end, with the olympic stairs and cauldron. And exactly this gap in the roof on none end of the stadium is the main reason for the support pillars. Because of this gap a construction with a ring like in the new olympic stadium in London wasn't possible, since the ring couldn't be closed all the way around. Of course these pillars obstruct the views of some seats, but you have to keep in mind taht it's not a new stadium but a very old one instead, which has only been modernized. Look at other modernized stadia and their roofs and you'll most likely agree that the roof of this stadium is exceptionally well done and really great. And keeping in mind the major difficulties resulting from these special circumstances the solution with the support pillars is in fact a very good one.
It's a truely remarcable roof and construction. If it were a new stadium they would have done many things differently, but it's not it's an old classic stadium and keeping that in mind, it's still very much up to date in many aspects. The support pillars in this case are not really just a cheap solution or were avoidable. Any other solution without support pillars would have produced inaceptable architectural outcomes and changes to the overall stadium. closing the gap or supporting the roof wit steel cables support pillars or cables outside the stadium or whatever other possible way would have been absolutely inacceptable in terms of preserving an historic and architecturally important building or monument and the original character of the stadium.
Sadly even modern constructions and exellent modern engineering can not defy the good old plain and simple laws of physics and up to this day every successfull attempt to do so ended up being a disaster.