Munich Olympic Park

Munich Olympic Park was created for the 1972 Olympic Games and set new urban planning, architectural and design standards. Under the motto “Olympic Games in the Green”, ecological aspects were to be taken into account, creating generous green spaces alongside sports facilities, athletes’ accommodation and transport infrastructure. Sustainability meant offering the city’s citizens added value even after the Olympics and providing a place for recreation, socialising and events.

An innovative overall design concept was also developed for the Games, including lead colours, symbols and pictograms to overcome language and writing barriers. Many of the designs were unique, yet so universal and timeless that they had a lasting influence on subsequent generations of graphic designers.

The greatest challenge proved to be the bold and innovative design for a transparent, seemingly floating tent-roof construction that covers the sports facilities like a spider’s web. A load-bearing structure of this size had never been attempted before. A steel net was stretched using steel cables and girders and clad with acrylic glass panels. Although maintaining the Olympic roof is costly, the architecture was admired worldwide and eventually became a landmark of Munich. The sunsets behind the Olympic Stadium seen from the Olympic Hill are well worth seeing, as is the panorama of the illuminated buildings in the Olympic Park, the adjacent BMW Welt and the Allianz Arena in the north of the city.