Sport and Technology

?m

ARCHITECTURE AT THE SERVICE O F SPORT

(Part II)

T H E O L Y M P IC S T A D IA IN L O S A N G E L E S A N D BERLIN

b y T H O M A S SC H M ID T

In Holland, as a lmost eve ryw here else in the Wes te rn world, architecture in the 2 0 ,s was marked by buildings of historicism. This style was not

regarded as significant in Holland. At the beginning of the 2 0 th Century, however, m o v e m e n t s b e c a m e evident , which a t t em p ted to free it from

historicism and thus crea te a renewal of architecture.

S pecial mention should be m ade in this regard of the buildings and writings of H.P. Berlage

(1856 to 1934), w h o overcam e eclecticism and its historical system of forms and strove to bring out the form of a building as an expression of its c o n ­struction (Amsterdam Stock Exchange, 1897 to 1903).

Wils worked for two years with Berlage, w ho was an admirer of the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright (1869 to 1959). The confrontation with Wright's work and to a lesser extent c o o p e r ­ation with the artists' movem ent. De Stijl (founded 1917), were of outstanding importance for the conception of the Amsterdam Olympic Stadium. Wils was particularly impressed by Wright's internal and external forms of spaces,

i.e. the functionality of the internal layout, which now could be seen from the outside. Wils' works — The N.FT church in Nieuw Lekkerland (1916), a farmhouse in Winschoten (1916) and an apart­m en t building in Alkmar (1917) do indeed still have a historical style, but the projecting roofs, the long horizontal bands of stone and the grouping of the w indow frames indicate the influ­ence of Wright.

THE ECLECTIC SC H O O L IN THE UNITED STATESThe Coliseum in Los Angeles (1932) deserves particular attention. In 1921 it had been c o n ­structed still as a typical "bowl". The grandstand extensions of 1929 are in reinforced concrete . The construction is visible both externally and

internally and there is no cladding. In this way, the deve lopm en t of the objectification of grand­stand structures was deliberately advanced. At that time, stadium construction in the USA usually followed the style forms of eclecticism.

With the building of the Coliseum, the archi­tects J. and D. B. Parkinson m ad e a contribution to the d eve lopm ent of m odern stadium architec­ture in the USA. It may be assumed, however, that the architects had already turned to Euro­pean prototypes, for example to the construc­tive-functional conception of the Olympic Sta­dium in Paris/Colombes (1924, Architect : Louis Faure-Dujarric). Among the earlier ventures of "objectification" of high grandstand structures, the conceptual drawings for an Olympic Stadium which had been prepared by the French architect A. G. Perret (1874-1954) should also be counted . The load-bearing structure is here fully visible and consists of concre te-cased steel sections. To w hat extent in this case an influence actually was present canno t be established in the context of the present article.

Stylistically, a flowering of eclecticism was evident in the USA be tw een 1900 and 1930 (with offshoots at times until 1945) ; this is also termed "traditional architecture". The representatives of eclecticism (e.g. the American architects Cass Gilbert, 1859 to 1934 ; Ralph Adams Cram, 1863 to 1942 ; James G am ble Rogers, 1867 to 1947) go back to prototypes from the period of historicism in the 19th Century, for example the office blocks of the American architect Henry Hobson Richardson (1836 to 1886), in the neo-roma- nesque style, or the neo-gothic work of the Scot­tish architect G eorge Frederick (1827 to 1907). The latter style was frequently used in church architecture and educational and training estab­lishments.

B O R R O W IN G S FROM OLDER STYLESO ther models w ere style e lem ents from the time of the new Italian renaissance and Georgian architecture, which w ere used mainly in the buildings of the American architects Charles Follen McKim (1847 to 1907), W. R. M ead and Stanford White (1853 to 1906). The last-named types of style left their stamp on the American university buildings of that period and large sta­dium construction, which was often associated with the university com plexes (e.g. the Harvard Stadium at Cambridge near Boston, Mass, the

stadium in Vancouver/Canada). The Soldier Field Stadium, Chicago, also showing this style, is h o w ­ever a military sports centre c o m m e n c e d after the first World War.

American architects did not begin to react to the m odern m ovem ents in Europe until the 30's. This is explained by the uncontes ted prestige of the "Ecole des Beaux Arts" in Paris, w here many American architects had graduated, and also by the curriculums of American schools.

In this connection , the stylistic consideration of the Los Angeles Coliseum is extremely inter­esting, b ecause historicizing style e lements , which frequently are to b e found in com parab le projects, were no t used here. Although the Coli­seum was still built as a typical American "bowl" in 1921, its main portal structures w ere c o n ­structed simply as concre te cast blocks, without historicizing facade decoration, in contrast to the otherwise usual entry structures in large stadiums.

which usually exhibit style e lem ents from the Ital­ian High Renaissance (e.g. the stadium in Vanc­ouver, Canada). The architectural principle shows influences from the rom anesque. The portals have the typical round arches and an arcade. In 1929, an extension to the grandstand designed along constructive-functional lines in exposed concrete , with a long gallery benea th with no w indow glazing, was added , in contrast to the forms of eclecticism co m m o n at that time.

After 1932, the year of the Olympics in Los Angeles, a move away from historical eclecticism occurred. A turn towards the international style was dem onstrated by an exhibition of co n ­tem porary European architecture, which was o p e n e d on 10th February 1932 in the M useum of Modern Art in New York.

467

Source : Bibliothèque du CIO / IOC Library

Sport and Technology

The architect W erner March (1894 to 1976), in his original designs for the conversion of the old G erm an Stadium (Architect : Otto March) for the Olympic G am es in 1936, continued the deve lopm ent of objectification of grandstand structures. His conversion designs show a pure reinforced concre te structure with glazed spaces be tw een , similar to the Vienna Stadium of 1929 by Otto Ernst Schweizer, w ho was the first archi­tect to provide glazing as a w ea ther protection for ambulatories, and thus at the sam e time satis­fied the objectives of m odern stadium construc­tion.

THE INFLUENCE OF ALBERT SPEERThe m odern , neoclassical c o n c ep t of the Berlin Olympic Stadium (1936 Olympics), the covering of the structural frame with natural stone and the powerful cornices, go back to the inspiration of Albert Speer. They exhibit the usual style e le ­ments of neoclassicism, which as early as 1910 w ere to be found predominantly in public build­ings in Germany.

The Berlin Olympic Stadium of 1936’ is a typical example of a structure which was c o m ­pulsorily adap te d in its style to the ideal concepts of the architecture of the Third Reich. Official State and Party buildings largely show a neoclas­sical style. Characteristics of this architecture are the consistent mass of the building in a strict geometrical form, high rectangular windows, "Führer" balconies, and undecora ted wall sur­faces in regionally available natural stones (mainly shell limestone), which usually encased the load- bearing reinforced concre te or steel structure. The prestige buildings of the Third Reich thus b e cam e an expression of an architecture that m ade great use of manual craftmanship. The effect of p e rm an ence , indestructability and strength w ere intended to be the expression of a political order. Simplicity and the omission of any ornam entation w ere regarded as patriotic.

IDEOLOGICAL ASCENDANCYThe ideology of Hitler in the construction of State and Party buildings consisted in using large sports grounds and stadiums and correspondingly huge buildings, which to him still ap pea red too small on the Sports Field of the Reich, to impress the p eo p le at political demonstrations (e.g. the Party Headquarters building in Nuremberg), in order psychologically to secure-his might and power. In

accordance with the wide-ranging architectural planning of Hitler, the work of Albert Speer b e cam e a symbol of official state architecture. In the mass parade ground of the Zeppelinfeld in Nürnberg for abou t 240,000 p eo p le and the uncom ple ted Congress Hall with 400 ,000 places, Speer gave visible expression to the ambitions of the manipulated mass society.

W erner March, himself a practicing sports­man (swimmer and boxer) established his nam e as o n e of the leaders of the younger architects of Germany by the planning and building of the G erm an Sports Forum (1926 to 1928) and asso­ciated buildings. His nam e is especially linked with the building of the Berlin Olympic Stadium of 1936 which, with its associated structures may be regarded as his chef d 'œ u vre . The team leader at that time was the architect Prof. Dr.-lng Lehmbruch. Following the w idespread tendency of that period to emotionalism, the Stadium was nam ed "Reich Sports G round". It was not until after the seco nd World War that it was given its present nam e of "Berlin Olympic Stadium".

A FAMILY OF ARCHITECTSMarch was occup ied for ten years with this struc­ture, from 1926 to 1936. In his early youth he had b e c o m e familiar with the predecessor, the "German Stadium", which had been built by his father O tto March at the site of the Grünewald Race Track (also by Otto March) before the first World War.

In 1925, W erner March, jointly with his brother Walter March, won a competit ion for the G erm an Sports Forum. This was to be located alongside the race track. Up until 1928, gym na­siums, an open-air swimming bath and a ho m e for female sports students w ere constructed ; the latter was nam ed the Anna-Heim, after the fore­nam e of the wife of the Mayor of Berlin at that time. Boss.

In 1928, the already m entioned proposals for enlarging the G erm an Stadium were begun. N obody was thinking yet of a future National Socialist state. The National Socialists had only twelve e lec ted representatives in the Reichstag at that time. The architects W erner and Walter March ob ta ined the commission in 1931 for p re­paring the drawings for modifying the stadium to international requirements. In planning the lay­out, the findings of the Americans w ere taken into account. "We have ad o p ted as a basis the

468

/

469

Source : Bibliothèque du CIO / IOC Library

Sport and Technology

unit of m easurem en t which American stadia have, namely the 400 metre track ( i Statute Mile - 402.32 m)".

THE IMPERIAL FIATIn the autum n of 1933 the drawings for conver­sion of the old G erm an stadium w ere ready ; because they were not m onum enta l enough and were glazed, like the Vienna Prater Stadium, they were not accep ted by Hitler. The present-day construction is ascribed by Albert Speer to him­self. He recounts in his memoirs : "The German O lym pic Com m ittee found itse lf in an unpleasant situation, when H itle r m ade the responsible Secretary o f State o f the M in istry fo r H om e Affairs, Pfundtner, show him the first drawings for the reconstruction o f the stadium. W erner March, the architect, had envisaged a concrete structure

w ith g lazed in term ediate walls, s im ilar to the Vienna Stadium (Architect : O.E. Schweizer). H it­ler, angry and excited after seeing the drawings, re turned to his apartm ent, where he had sum ­m on ed m e (Speer) w ith drawings. He to ld the Secretary o f State w ithou t m ore ado that the O lym pic Games w o u ld have to be cancelled.

They cou ld no t take place w ithou t his presence, because they must be opened by the H ead o f State. But he was no t go ing to enter a m odern glass box o f this type. O vernight I drew up a sketch fo r him, show ing a revised cladding o f the structural skeleton w ith natural stone and po w e r­fu l cornices, the glazing had alm ost disappeared, and H itle r was satisfied. He w ou ld be responsible fo r financing the add itiona l cost, M arch agreed to the change and the Games were saved fo r Ber­lin".

In spite of the stylistic adaptation of the Ber­lin Olympic Stadium described above to Hitler's modified plans, March hardly received any more commissions from the State. This certainly has to do with the fact that March rejected the exces­sive dimensions of the prestige buildings.

The present article shows that the construc­tion of the Olympic Stadia referred to here have been influenced by the interaction be tw een national regional influence on the o n e hand and international movem ents in architecture on the o ther hand, the Swedish national romantic m o ve­m en t having b een followed in the case of the Stockholm Stadium (1912), while in most of the o ther stadiums, apart from the stamp of national characteristics, the precursors of international m ovem ents in architectural style w ere the main influence, for exam ple in London (1908), Paris (1924) and Los Angeles (1932 and 1984). The Berlin Olympic Stadium (1936), which followed the neoclassicism which was at its height in abou t 1910, may finally be mentioned as a special case, becau se this style of architecture was specified in the Third Reich as the only official State architec­ture.

T. S.

REFERENCESchm idt, T hom as : T he Berlin O lym pic S tadium an d Its H istory, Berlin 1983.

470

Obituaries

A N O R I G I N A L C H A M P I O N A N D A F IG H TE R

□ H erm a Stark-Szabô, five times individual world figure skating champion, twice world pairs champion and several times Austrian champion, has died after a long illness at the age of 84.

7

A former naval officer and Mayor of G reno­ble from 1965 to 1983, he w ent dow n in O lym ­pic history as the man behind the perfect success of the Xth Olympic Winter G am es in 1968.

A dynamic and sporting municipal council­lor, Hubert D u bed ou t w anted those G am es in o rder to help his city to acquire its m odern face. He was not mistaken. The competitive spirit aroused by the great winter Olympic rend ez ­vous was the factor which helped to accelerate the ambitious urban amenities plan, o n e of the biggest in the world at the time.

While G renoble b e ca m e an example in the domain of urban planning and municipal ser­vices, Hubert D ubedout, "a p ioneer of modern municipal m anagem ent" , as he himself put it, proved the value of his experience, the benefit of which he gave to many local representatives inside and outside France. Today, the sports facil­ities of G renoble remain perfect instruments for training young p eo p le and an important factor in the region's tourist appeal. That too is something worth remembering.

Hubert Dubedout (left) on the day o f the inauguration o f the 90 m ski jum p at Saint Nizier. Right : Mr. Maurice Gleizes, Vice- President o f the Organising Committee, the IOC President Avery Brundage and Dr. Albert Michallon, President o f the OCOG.

The crowning point of her career as a skater was the gold medal she won at the first Olympic Winter G am es in Chamonix. O n her return, th ou ­sands of Viennese turned ou t to greet her and even the trams ca m e to a stop so that their driv­ers could offer her their congratulations.

A versatile sportsw oman, she took part in num erous skiing and swimming competitions.

Born in 1902, she put on her first pair of skates at the age of two, and was to go dow n in history as the only person so far to be world figure skating cham pion in both the pairs and the individual event in the sam e year.

□ We have learned with sorrow of the death of the former Mayor of the city of Grenoble, Hubert Dubedout, in a climbing accident in the Alps. He was 64 years old.

m

471

Source : Bibliothèque du CIO / IOC Library