Tag: olympic-cities | ArchDaily

A Century of Temporary Housing Experiments: Milano–Cortina and the Evolution of Olympic Villages

Daniela Andino — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 08:30:00 +0000

With the Milano–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics underway, it is worth looking back at how the Olympic Village has evolved from a purely functional solution into a strategic urban project. From improvised housing compounds to key pieces of urban regeneration, Olympic Villages have repeatedly functioned as large-scale experiments in how parts of the city can be built within a short period of time.

The Montreal Biodome: From Olympic Velodrome to a Space for Life

Moises Carrasco — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 04:00:00 +0000

The history of the Olympic Games, while marked by athletic achievement, is consistently contrasted by infrastructure challenges. Across host cities, from Athens to Rio and Beijing, similar issues arise: significant cost overruns and the complex issue of legacy. The big question is: What is the best viable long-term use for purpose-built sport venues? Montreal's 1976 Games shared this fate after building an Olympic Park that faced heavy criticism for cost overruns and debt from specialized construction. Post-Games, venues like the Montreal Velodrome risked becoming a financial burden. However, the city demonstrated a proactive response by proposing the transformation of the building into a thriving civic asset that now stands as an internationally recognized example of successful Olympic venue repurposing.

Architecture as Soft Power: Cultural Diplomacy and Its Role in Shaping Architectural Production

Diogo Borges Ferreira — Sat, 18 Oct 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Cultural diplomacy refers to the use of cultural expression and creative exchange to foster understanding and build relationships between nations. In this context, architecture has long played a distinctive role. Beyond its functional and aesthetic dimensions, it serves as a medium of communication, a language through which countries express identity, values, and ambition on the global stage.

Discover the Venues of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, United States

Nour Fakharany — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 05:30:00 +0000

As the Paris 2024 Olympics draw to a close, the city has showcased a new model for hosting the iconic Games by integrating its landmarks and urban spaces into the event. As the spotlight now shifts to Los Angeles, the 2028 Summer Olympics present a different approach from a built environment and urban planning perspective. During the 2024 Olympics, Paris used its rich cultural heritage as a backdrop for competition, reimagining sports within the city's built environment. This approach not only highlighted the city's history and architecture but also minimized the need for new construction, focusing instead on temporary and innovative uses of existing spaces.

Over 100 Years of Olympic Heritage: What Became of the 1924 Paris Olympic Venues?

Maria-Cristina Florian — Fri, 09 Aug 2024 06:30:00 +0000

The recent history of the city of Paris is entangled with that of the Olympic Games. In 1900, Paris hosted the second edition of the Games, starting a journey of urban adaptations and architectural developments that prepared the city for the event. Among the most important changes was the introduction of Line 1 of the metro, inaugurated in 1900 to link the locations of the Universal Exhibition with those of the Olympic Games in Vincennes. Just 24 years later, the city hosted one of the most influential editions of the Olympic Games. The event, the first to be broadcasted on the airwaves, contributed to a substantial rise in the popularity of the Games. It was also during this edition that the concept of the Olympic Village was born. Several of the infrastructures and venues built over a century ago are still in use in Paris, with some of them returning now as hosts of Olympic events.

From White Elephants to Sustainable Venues: The Evolving Story of Olympic Architecture

Maria-Cristina Florian — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 07:30:00 +0000

For cities, hosting an Olympic event represents both an honor, an important opportunity for growth, and a significant challenge. With over 200 nations taking part in the Games, the Olympics are the largest sporting competition in the world. Adapting the public and sporting infrastructure to accommodate this sudden influx of people and the scale of these events runs the risk of misunderstanding the cities’ needs after the closing ceremony, often producing “white elephants” that struggle to adapt to the rhythm and necessities of everyday urban life. Urban transformations are often cited as an advantage of hosting the Olympic Games, as cities are incentivized to invest in their traffic infrastructure, housing, and public spaces. One such example is the city of Paris, which introduced its first metro line on the occasion of hosting the second edition of the Olympic Games in 1900.

UNStudio Unveils Design for Mixed-Use Complex in the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Area in China

Maria-Cristina Florian — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 05:30:00 +0000

On a site that also hosts the Olympic Sports Centre, the 2023 Asian Games complex, UNStudio has unveiled the design of the new Hiwell Amber Centre, a complex of four high-rise towers planned to add a mix of offices, apartments, hotels, art spaces and retail to the city center of Hangzhou, China. Responding to the area’s rapid economic and cultural growth, the new development aims to provide a wide range of services to residents and visitors alike. To open up towards the city, the smooth glass curtain wall of the towers peels apart to reveal a tapestry-like facade that envelops the main plazas and civic spaces, creating an ‘urban living room.’

Olympic Legacy: Adaptive Reuse & Designing for Cities

Eric Baldwin — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 07:30:00 +0000

Few cultural events bring the world together like the Olympics. Today, athletes from around the world continue to participate in a variety of competitions after the covid-19 pandemic. The Olympic Games are considered the world's foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating. In turn, they bring to question the role of architecture and design in each host city's urban evolution.

Olympic Urbanism: The Afterlife of Olympic Parks and Stadiums

Andreea Cutieru — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Since their inception in 1896, modern-day Olympics have been regarded by hosting cities as an opportunity to project to the world a specific image of themselves, to subsidize large infrastructure projects, or to rapidly unfold redevelopment schemes. Past the frequently discussed eye-catching stadiums, there is a complex story of Olympic urbanism, which encompasses the large scale developments catalyzed by the event. Exploring the urban and architectural legacy of the Games, the success stories, the white elephants, and the administrative agendas, the following discusses what the Olympics leave behind in the hosting cities.

Winning Design Revealed for New Complex Around Seoul’s Olympic Stadium

Jack McManus — Wed, 30 May 2018 08:00:00 +0000

Built before the 1988 Summer Olympics, the Seoul Olympic Stadium in the Korean capital city’s Songpa District remains an active and treasured institution. Designed by Kim Swoo-geun, the stadium represents a significant moment in Korea’s modern history and remains a venue for large concerts and the home of Seoul E-Land FC.

Olympic Cities: The Netherlands As Game Changer / XML

Vanessa Quirk — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 10:30:03 +0000

As we’ve discussed at length here at ArchDaily, an Olympic Bid is no thing to take on lightly. Our 3-part series on the subject, “How NOT To Host the Olympics,” made very clear that this mega-event is a major urban project with long-term economic, social, and environmental consequences. So, it’s no surprise that Olympic bidders research and strategize well in advance – consider London 2012‘s “Sustainable Olympics” bid or OMA’s perhaps premature interest in Turkey- to ensure, first, that they get the bid and, second, that the Games leave renewal (rather than destruction) in their wake. Architecture, Research, and Urbanism practice, XML, are already taking on the task of preparing its home country, the Netherlands, for its 2028 bid. Their just-released report compares Olympic City bids across the globe – from the 2020 contenders of Madrid, Istanbul, Dohan, and Tokyo to a 2024 contender, South Africa. Interestingly, they’ve noted a cyclical nature of the Games’ socio-economic significance and have thus come up with a 3-prong strategy that will position the Netherlands to spearhead a new Olympic paradigm. You can check out XML’s full Report, well worth a look, after the break...

How (Not) to Host The Olympics (Part III)

Vanessa Quirk — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 10:35:14 +0000

Welcome back and congratulations for having made it to the final installation of the Olympic City Guide.