Olympic sports facilities are places that get a great amount of attention for a short period of time. Moreover, media attention has rapidly increased in recent years, which reinforces the effect of temporary use even more. But what happens to the elaborately planned and expensive sports venues in the aftermath of the games?

Photographer Bruno Helbling followed the fate of six venues with his camera: Athens (1896, 2004), Berlin (1936), Sarajevo (1998), Torino (2006), Beijing (2008), and Sochi (2014). His images are neither judgmental nor disavowing: He offers the viewer an objective yet aesthetically captivating look at what now awaits visitors to the respective sites. The variety of possible subsequent uses shown here - whether planned or unplanned - is both insightful and educational. At the same time, it demonstrates the effectiveness of architecture in an environment that is beyond the reaches of planning control. A book that is both poetic and inspiring.

Exhibition and Reading

1 September 2016 Vernissage OLYMPIC REALITIES at Architekturforum Zurich starting 7pm to 10pm. 15 September 2016 Reading with Pr. Dr. Martin Muller. Reading from his Sochi Essay 7pm. Exhibition until 7th of October at Architekturforum. Brauerstr. 16, 8004 Zurich, Switzerland. Information and opening hours: www.af-z.ch

More information on the book

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