From ancient stadium construction to a design object of the twenty-¿rst century sports arenas
have long been turned into places hosting a global media spectacle. For a few hours or days
colossuses made of steel and concrete transform into colourful festival locations. Since the
¿rst ancient stadium in Greek Olympia the typology of stadium construction has undergone a
profound transformation: due to changes in requirements and demand an urban entertainment
centre has emerged from the simple running track in the countryside. Through selected examples
of projects this volume from the Construction and Design Manual series illustrates the
development of stadiums in relation to building typologies. It provides a basic manual of
stadium design using basic planning parameters. Examined are amongst others Olympic stadiums
football stadiums velodromes and ice arenas. Drawings detailed plans and large-format photos
facilitate an understanding of the carefully selected examples and are used to analyse stadium
construction in terms of its history planning and architecture.
