Olympics

This column from The Tyee looks at the architecture for Vancouver's 2010 Olympic games and is not impressed.

December 23, 2008 - The Tyee

As part of its bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, the city of Chicago has proposed a slight change to the layout of its Olympic stadia. The only problem is that the newly proposed site for the aquatics center is listed on the National Register.

December 16, 2008 - Chicago Tribune

As it prepares to host the 2014 Winter Olympics, the beachfront Russian city of Sochi is hoping to become an attractive resort city. Money is flowing and development is under way, but some expect growing pains.

November 20, 2008 - The New York Times

Vancouver Olympic officials have announced that temporary Olympic housing units will be reused as permanent affordable housing after the Games.

October 22, 2008 - The Province

In the mid-1900s architect Le Corbusier designed a grand sports complex for Baghdad as part of the city's bid for the 1960 Olympics. That bid failed and the project was never built. Now, original drawings and designs are on display.

October 20, 2008 - Building Design

In an effort to clean up the poverty ridden area set to host the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, officials have announced plans to place homeless people into housing next summer.

September 7, 2008 - The Globe and Mail

As the Olympics leave town, Beijing appears to be in a much better position to benefit from the games than previous Summer Olympic host Athens.

August 27, 2008 - Yahoo Sports

With some of the its cleanest air in decades, Beijing is warming up to some of the pollution-cutting regulations officials have enacted during the Olympics. Some may become permanent.

August 26, 2008 - China Daily

With the Olympics nicely coinciding with my vacation, I think I’ve watched more coverage of the games than the average human should. Prior to the start of the games, I followed with interest the story of how Beijing was re-fashioning itself to host the games. Much has been written on this subject from the loss of the city’s “hutongs” to the “distorted” messages conveyed by the starchitecture. Some have referred to Beijing as a “Houston on steroids.”

August 20, 2008 - Scott Page

The economic boost expected from Olympics-related tourism has fallen way short of predictions in Beijing. Many business people blame the government's stringent visa-granting policies.

August 19, 2008 - The Christian Science Monitor

Security is a major concern during large public events like the Olympics. The Chinese government is making preparations for a safe event, but could they go too far?

August 11, 2008 - Buildings Magazine

Olympics-related construction in Beijing has impressed many, but does little to make the city a better place. Architecture critic Blair Kamin says Chicago needs to be careful about not repeating China's mistakes if it hosts the games in 2016.

August 7, 2008 - The Chicago Tribune

A new high-speed rail line has opened in China, just in time for the Olympics.

August 6, 2008 - BBC

For China, the Olympics represent a struggle between letting people in and controlling what they see and do. This is a problem, writes Andrew Yang, that implicates the Olympics-related architecture in a bad way.

August 4, 2008 - The Architect's Newspaper

In a last-minute effort to beautify the city before the start of the 2008 Summer Olympics, officials in Beijing have put up walls and screens to hide unsightly neighborhoods from the eyes of visitors. Those behind the walls are not happy.

July 31, 2008 - The New York Times

Four years after it hosted the Summer Olympics, Athens is questioning whether the $15 billion investment in venues that now largely sit unused was really worth it.

July 22, 2008 - The Christian Science Monitor

With less than a month left before the start of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, residents in the Chinese metropolis are still being evicted to make way for event-related construction.

July 17, 2008 - The Washington Post via the Boston Globe

Chicago has come in second-to-last place in the selection of finalists seeking to host the 2016 Olympics. The city's bid was criticized for not having a strong transportation plan.

June 8, 2008 - The Chicago Tribune

This article from National Geographic looks at the construction boom that is rapidly changing the face of Beijing.

April 18, 2008 - National Geographic

In an effort to improve the city's air quality in time for this summer's Olympic Games, officials in Beijing are planning to halt all construction and other polluting processes for two months starting in mid-July.

April 15, 2008 - The New York Times