Abandoned Summer Olympic Venues: What Happened To The Venues?

This month the world is celebrating Rio Olympics. This is the 31^st summer Olympics. Everyone amazed to see the infrastructures in the Olympic venues. Billions of dollars were spent to build the infrastructures. But due to the lack of plan many venues remain unused, unmaintained and abandoned.

What happened to the venues after the Olympic flame is extinguished?

Berlin, 1936

1936 Berlin Olympics was XI Olympiad which was known as notorious ‘Nazi Olympics’. In 1931, Berlin was selected to host 1936 Olympic. In that time Adolf Hitler was rising in the power. As soon as Berlin got the right, banners with Swastika hung beside the Olympic flag.

Today the 1936 Games village is totally abandoned and it has turned into ruins. The game village was located in Elstal (today part of Wustermark) and was designed by Werner and Walter March.

berlin swimming pool — *Swimming Pool Photo Courtesy: Peter Bromley*

a deserted pool — *A deserted pool Photo Courtesy: Martin Sachse/Getty Images*

deserted houses for the athletes — *Deserted houses for the athletes in the former Olympic Village. Photograph: Martin Sachse/Getty Images*

Mexico City, 1968

The XII version of Olympiad held Mexico City. Some venues of that place are totally deserted after the Olympic.

abandoned cycling velodrome — *Mexico City’s abandoned Cycling Velodrome*

mexico's cycling velodrome — *Cycling Velodrome*

the cinema hall — *During the Games, the cinema hosted movie nights and other entertainment for the athletes Photograph: Gary Hustwit*

Munich, 1972

München Olympiastadion is the station which was built in the 1970 and opened on 26^th May, 1972 for the 1972 Munich Olympics. The station is now no use and a deserted place. After the Olympic, the station was disconnected to the regular service network and the tracks were removed which leading to the station.

*The abandoned train station which was used during the time of Munich Olympics Photograph: Julian Neugebauer*

Moscow, 1980

The XXII Olympiad in Moscow was the first Olympic which was held in Easter Europe. But after the Games the old Soviet venue was deserted.

moscow's old soviet venue — *The old Soviet venue for the Moscow Olympiad located in Tallinn, Estonia*

Atlanta, 1996

Atlanta Olympics’ tennis court was at the Stone Mountain Tennis Centre. After the Olympic the permanent tennis facility built in a corner of Stone Mountain Park. But soon it was losing money and weeds growing in the outer courts.

the tennis court — *Tennis Court Photograph: David Goldman/AP Photo*

Athens, 2004

The XXVIII Olympiad was held in Athens and the estimated cost was €9bn. A decade after the event many Olympic venues lay abandoned. The game became the source of anger amongst many Greeks as the country was facing six years recession, unemployment, poverty, homelessness and with many questions how the country has benefited from the multimillion dollar Games?