Abandoned Olympics venues

[Finn]

I love shit like this. This one has venues (the sliding centre and ski/snowboard jump tracks) from Turin 2006, abandoned in a Marie Celeste type way:

 

[Agneeta]

Sarajevo 1984 is probably the most legendary, because obviously there was a war a decade later, but also the magnificent Yugoslav architecture.

 

[Finn]

The medal podium, widely reported to have been used by Serbian forces to execute captured Bosnian soldiers

Seen here in 2022, with 'patched up bullet holes'

 

[Halli]

That top one would make a great theme park I feel.

 

[GNL]

Not quite the Olympics but I saw an exhibition of abandoned world fair sites at the Atomium in Brussels a few years back.

J’AI VU LE FUTUR à l’Atomium de Bruxelles

J’ai vu le futur est un vaste corpus photographique, toujours en développement, conçu pour circuler et être diffusé autant dans les lieux intérieurs qu’extérieurs. Le cœur du projet est lié à une r…

evecadieux.com

 

[Marina Salty]

The 2004 Beach Volleyball. I love how it has been overtaken by the Washingtonias.

I think it will be lost cause they'll be making this park in that area.

 

[Ellie]

I can’t believe that anything post-2000 hasn’t been built with an actual plan for the future.

 

[Jark]

yeah I find this disgusting actually. building new ski slopes in 2006 that have already been abandoned?

 

[Marina Salty]

Also the 2004 Canoe Kayak complex.

Which is meant to be part of another park.

 

[Tisch]

I can’t believe that anything post-2000 hasn’t been built with an actual plan for the future.

London did it first with what was built for 2012, with the sustainability factor being a big part of their bid and why it won. Sustainability has been an important requirement since then, learning from the lessons above where big projects were built and abandoned straight after. The financial crises of the late 00's played a big role in the mindset changing.

 

[Indie]

I've always wanted to visit the Sarajevo bobsleigh track.

 

[Agneeta]

I've always wanted to visit the Sarajevo bobsleigh track.

View attachment 40783

That's the coolest chicken I've ever seen spraypainted onto an abandoned bobsleigh track.

 

[Ellie]

London did it first with what was built for 2012, with the sustainability factor being a big part of their bid and why it won. Sustainability has been an important requirement since then, learning from the lessons above where big projects were built and abandoned straight after. The financial crises of the late 00's played a big role in the mindset changing.

It seems Rio didn’t follow suit though.

 

[Agneeta]

Was everything in London a success in terms of sustainability?

 

[Tisch]

Was everything in London a success in terms of sustainability?

Depends what you mean by everything, but the reinvention of the area around the Olympic village and the main venues still being used today speaks for itself

 

[Ellie]

Was everything in London a success in terms of sustainability?

It’s where my office is now. It’s pretty busy all of the time with new stuff being built up around it. We had the new Sadler’s Wells theatre/dance space open last year, as well as the new V&A East museum. The Aquatics Centre has been quite a success. Some of my colleagues even go for a swim at lunch, and local school groups are there all of the time.

The cycling velodrome is apparently still used, but I presume more for actual athletes rather than the public.

 

[big ron]

Depends what you mean by everything, but the reinvention of the area around the Olympic village and the main venues still being used today speaks for itself

West Ham took over the stadium but honestly its one of the worst football grounds I’ve ever visited. Soulless.

 

[dmlaw]

West Ham took over the stadium but honestly its one of the worst football grounds I’ve ever visited. Soulless.

It’ll be the biggest ground in the history of the Championship next year,

 

[Lucille]

Used to love going for a casual swim here when I lived in East London.

 

[Finn]

Was everything in London a success in terms of sustainability?

I still see the odd games maker backpack out and about

 

[Jark]

London Stadium is a bust for West Ham but I'd still say it was a success to have it repurposed for a club in need of a new home rather than being KNOCKED DOWN to make way for YET MORE FLATS

 

[Lucille]

The Olympics was the catalyst for Stratford becoming the UGLIEST area of London though.

 

[Madison]

Used to love going for a casual swim here when I lived in East London.

View attachment 40784

Unfortunately they’ve given the contract to operate to an utter shitshow of a company a few years ago and it’s astonishingly badly run. Dirty changing rooms and half the lockers and showers broken. I’ve long switched to the London Fields lido.

 

[Finn]

Was quite enjoying this video and taking it at face value. Then it gets to this London bit and I'm not QUITE SURE it can be counted as a trusted source

 

[Finn]

A nice CHEERY VIDEO about the aftermath of Paris '24

 

[Jark]

omg! it's only a 15 minute bike ride from me. I might go and take a look this week.

 

[Finn]

And to think I scoffed when the French man said it was a tourist attraction because "people want to see where the athletes were staying"

But actually I'd swing by too. I guess there are enough of us.