EIGHT YEARS AFTER Greece spent €12 billion to stage the 2004 Olympics, some of those once-gleaming venues are crumbling.
The economy is a part of it, but so is the fact that many of these venues were built only for sports with little local interest (like softball), and now have no use.
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A number of Greek officials admitted to the AFP that there was a lack of planning, and no one considered what they would be used for after the Games.
Despite all that, many of the venues from the Games are still going strong. The Olympic Stadium, Olympic Village, media center, and a few small-scale sports arenas have all found tenants.
But still, the aquatics center, beach volleyball arena, and softball arena are all literally falling apart. In addition, the massive Helliniko Olympic Complex where many events were held has been abandoned, and is in desperate need of private investors, according to AFP.
The photos of these venues are stunning, and a stern warning to future host cities of the importance of long-term planning.
The thing about London is that while they have to ensure that there’s a legacy for the big ticket items like the velodrome, arena and swimming centre they were smart by using the likes of the 02, wembley, eton dorney and temp stands on horseguards parade etc for other sports that would never be able to maintain a designated centre ….
That’s such a sad sight to see. There are countless communities in the world in dire need of amenities and here we have some once world class facilities rotting into the ground. Can’t help but think that an awful lot of money was just shovelled into a fire. Is this a shining monument to the excesses of the boom years ?
That’s crazy to see. I’m currently living beside Seoul olympic park. The whole area is a major amenity used by the people of the city every day. The larger stadia host both sports and concerts. It looks so much better than what we have seen in these photos despite being built for the 1988 olympics!
Why should one city get to host everything? Surely several cities can host various parts of the olympics, perhaps based on the amount of medals received four years ago…?
Colm McCarthy had a good article on this recently re London and its games. Nobody will want to take on the new Olympic 80,000 seater stadium. West Ham and a few others were in the running for its use after the games but the athletics authorities in the UK insisted on the running track being kept. Perhaps smaller Olympics will be in store. Who needs tennis, soccer and golf at an Olympics?
If west ham do not move in then the stadium will revert to its original plan of being reduced to a 25,000 seater athletics stadium. Only the bottom ring was built to be permanent. West ham will get it, drop the pitch 10m and remove the track. Job done
London did very well in its use of temporary and existing structures. The lesson for other host cities is not to build unnecessary venues that will have no use afterwards.
Rio seem to have the same idea. For example the opening and closing ceremonies will be at the Maracana Stadium which is being upgraded for the World Cup and the athletics will be at a different (but existing stadium) that will have a temporary increase in capacity for the Olympics. Most of the other venues are already existing or temporary. The only major new venues will be the Swimming and Tennis arenas both of which will be used after the Games.
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North Haverbrook! Monorail, monorail… MONORAIL!
You can get mono from the monorail?
Is there a chance the track could bend?
Not on your life my Hindu friend!
I hear those things are awfully loud.
It glides as softly as a cloud
The thing about London is that while they have to ensure that there’s a legacy for the big ticket items like the velodrome, arena and swimming centre they were smart by using the likes of the 02, wembley, eton dorney and temp stands on horseguards parade etc for other sports that would never be able to maintain a designated centre ….
A metaphor for a country 2,000 years past its prime.
They’ve given a great deal to the world,let’s not belittle them when they are on their knees.
That’s such a sad sight to see. There are countless communities in the world in dire need of amenities and here we have some once world class facilities rotting into the ground. Can’t help but think that an awful lot of money was just shovelled into a fire. Is this a shining monument to the excesses of the boom years ?
Some of which were used for the special Olympics world games last year and were still in good nick……
An incredible waste of money to see that happen..
That’s crazy to see. I’m currently living beside Seoul olympic park. The whole area is a major amenity used by the people of the city every day. The larger stadia host both sports and concerts. It looks so much better than what we have seen in these photos despite being built for the 1988 olympics!
the Olympic village in Sydney is pretty much a ghost town as well.
To quote Jack Donaghy from 30 Rock on the topic of Greece:
“Since inventing democracy, those guys have been… coasting”
Why should one city get to host everything? Surely several cities can host various parts of the olympics, perhaps based on the amount of medals received four years ago…?
Wow what a waste.. Such a shame
Colm McCarthy had a good article on this recently re London and its games. Nobody will want to take on the new Olympic 80,000 seater stadium. West Ham and a few others were in the running for its use after the games but the athletics authorities in the UK insisted on the running track being kept. Perhaps smaller Olympics will be in store. Who needs tennis, soccer and golf at an Olympics?
If west ham do not move in then the stadium will revert to its original plan of being reduced to a 25,000 seater athletics stadium. Only the bottom ring was built to be permanent. West ham will get it, drop the pitch 10m and remove the track. Job done
London did very well in its use of temporary and existing structures. The lesson for other host cities is not to build unnecessary venues that will have no use afterwards.
Rio seem to have the same idea. For example the opening and closing ceremonies will be at the Maracana Stadium which is being upgraded for the World Cup and the athletics will be at a different (but existing stadium) that will have a temporary increase in capacity for the Olympics. Most of the other venues are already existing or temporary. The only major new venues will be the Swimming and Tennis arenas both of which will be used after the Games.
Great photographer
‘Stadium falling apart’ when all you see Is a piece of wood that fell off.
‘graffiti’ outside a stadium
a softball stadium, serious waste of cash. wonder who paid for it
The taxpayers I presume.
I somehow done think in 8th years London wont be like this… Its the definition of a modern society that can uphold an Olympic legacy..
No pics of the escalater to nowhere?
Shame, 12 billion would go a long way now, what a waste.