Picture journey through all olympic stadiums in history. Including past & present images of each stadium (except 3 stadiums). Slide design by Adamo Studio (adamo-studio.com). Text from Kevin Muldoo & Noupe.com.

1. Stadiums of the Olympiads
A Picture Journey of Then & Now
By Steve Nguyen @ adamo-studio.com

2. 1. Stadium at Olympia
5th century BC Olympia
The stadium at Olympia hosted many events from the ancient
Olympic Games. In its day around 50,000 spectators would sit in
mud seats on the grass slopes that looked upon the main field.
A stone platform was placed in the Southern slope for judges.
adamo-studio.com
The shot put events for Athens 2004 were also held here.

3. 2. Panathinaiko Stadium
1896 Athens
Panathinaiko hosted the first modern Olympic games when they
were reintroduced in 1896. It was also used for Archery in the
2004 Olympics (Athens) and as the finish line for the marathon.
The stadium looks as impressive as it did 116 years ago despite
its age. Between the 5th and 4th century BC the stadium had
wooden seating

4. It was improved in 140 AD to a capacity of 50,000 seats and was
built entirely from white marble from the nearby Penteliko
Mountain. To this day no other stadium has been built entirely
from marble. For the 1896 Olympics the capacity was increased
again to 80,000 though today the capacity is 45,000.
Panathinaiko has stood the test of time and remains one of the
adamo-studio.com best looking stadiums in the world.

5. 3. Vélodrome de Vincennes
1900 Paris
Initially built as a velodrome (cycling track) in 1894, the
Vélodrome de Vincennes was used as a the main stadium for the
1900 Olympics in France and had a capacity of 50,000. Most
centerpiece stadiums host athletic events though for the 1900
Olympics athletics were held in the nearby Stade Yves-du-Manoir
stadium that football club Racing Levallois 92 used. Whereas
other events such as cycling, rugby and gymnastics were held at
the Vélodrome.

6. The Olympic games were held in conjunction with the world fair
that was held in Paris that year. Bizarrely, the organizers
downplayed the Olympics so much that many competitors
apparently didn’t even realize they were participating in the
games. The games are remembered as being the first time
adamo-studio.com women participated in events.

7. 4. Francis Field
1904 St. Louis
Like the 1900 Olympics, St. Louis had a world’s fair going on in the
same year and just like in Paris 4 years before, the Olympics were
overshadowed by the world’s fair.

8. The Francis Field stadium was built for the world’s fair and then
used as the main stadium for the Olympics. It originally had a
capacity of 19,000 but this was reduced in the 1980s to only
4,000. Along with the games in Paris in 1900, the 1904 Olympics
are regarded as one of the worst events held under the Olympic
adamo-studio.com banner

9. 5. White City Stadium
1908 London
The 1908 games were originally supposed to go to Rome but
London got them instead on short notice due to Rome not being
prepared. One of the reasons London was easily ready was due to
the ‘The Great Stadium’ in White City (London). It had been built
for the Franco-British exhibition in 1908 and was perfect for such
an event. With a capacity of 68,000 it was considered one of the
most advanced stadiums of its time.

10. The stadium was host to a lot of historic events. Over its lifetime
it was used for greyhound racing, speedway, rugby and one of the
matches in the 1966 FIFA World Cup. Sadly, the stadium was
demolished in 1985 and replaced by a series of buildings for the
BBC

11. 6. Stockholms Olympiastadion
1912 Stockholm
The 1912 games were the first Olympics to have competitors
from all 5 continents. The main stadium that was used for the
event was the Olympiastadion. It was designed specifically for the
1912 games, and with a capacity of around 14,000, it is one of the
adamo-studio.com smallest stadiums ever used in the Olympics.

12. The stadium would later host the equestrian events for the 1958
Olympics in Melbourne due to Australian quarantine rules. It has
also hosted a lot of football and athletic events and concerts for
The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen.
adamo-studio.com

13. 7. Olympisch Stadion
1920 Antwerp
Due to the 1916 Olympics being cancelled due to the ‘Great War’,
the 1920 games were awarded to Antwerp in memory of victims
lost there during the conflict.

14. The Olympisch Stadion, sometimes referred to as Kielstadion or
simply Kiel, was built specifically for the games. Back then it had
a capacity of around 30,000 but over the years the stadium
capacity was reduced. Today it can accommodate just under
adamo-studio.com 13,000 people.

15. 8. Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir
1924 Paris
Having been used for athletic events for the games in 1900, Stade
Olympique Yves-du-Manoir was an obvious choice as the
centerpiece stadium for the 1924 event.

16. It had a capacity of around 45,000 during the events but has since
been reduced considerably. The now familiar closing ceremony
was first introduced at these games.
adamo-studio.com

17. 9. Olympisch Stadion
1928 Amsterdam
Another stadium that was designed specifically for the Olympics.

18. It had a capacity of 31,600 when it was first built, though 9 years
later a second ring of seating was added to the stadium,
increasing the capacity of the ground to 64,000.
adamo-studio.com The Olympic flame was lit for the first time at the 1928 games.

19. 10. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
1932 & 1984 Los Angeles
Created in memory of those who died in World War I, the
stadium was completed in 1923 with a capacity of 75,144. With
the stadium being used as the main stadium for the Olympics in
1932, it was upgraded in 1930 to a capacity of 101,574. Despite
the stadium being built in a remote area of California, over
100,000 people attended the opening ceremony.

20. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was used again for the 1984
Olympics, making it the only stadium in the world to host the
Olympics twice. It has also hosted the Super Bowl and World
adamo-studio.com
Series.

21. 11. Olympiastadion
1936 Berlin
Berlin was chosen as the host city of the Olympics for 1916 but
due to the war the games were cancelled. They later got the
games in 1936. For the 1916 games the Germans built the
Deutsches Stadion, which had a capacity of 64,000. That stadium
was demolished in 1934 and replaced with the Olympiastadion
for the 1936 games.

22. It had a capacity of a whopping 110,000 and a special stand was
built for Adolf Hitler. The games were the first to be broadcast on
television. Those who watched would have witnessed Jesse
Owens winning 4 gold medals with trainers made by Adi Dassler
adamo-studio.com (creator of Adidas).

23. 12. Empire Stadium
1948 London
Due to World War II, the 1948 Olympics in London were the first
for 12 years. Once again London had been called upon with short
notice to host the games. Empire Stadium, which was completed
in 1923, was used as the centerpiece stadium. Most will know the
stadium by the name it was later adopted – Wembley Stadium.
The stadium had a capacity of 82,000 during the games.

24. Wembley, as it was later called, is synonymous with football and
is famous around the world due to the games that were held
there. It hosted the 1966 FIFA World Cup final, 1996 European
Cup Final and 5 European Cup finals. It also hosted countless
events and concerts. It was demolished in 2003 to make way for
adamo-studio.com the new Wembley stadium.

25. 13. Olympiastadion
1952 Helsinki
The Olympiastadion was finished in 1938 in time for the 1940
Olympic games. Due to war, the games did not proceed, though
Helsinki were awarded the Olympics for 1952. During the games
the stadium had room for over 70,000 people though today the
capacity is around 40,000.

26. It remains the largest stadium in Finland. The 1952 games were
the first to include Israel and the Soviet Union, who would go on
adamo-studio.com to dominate gymnastics for many years.

27. 14. Melbourne Cricket Ground
1956 Melbourne
The Melbourne Cricket Ground, often shortened to the MCG, is
one of the oldest modern stadiums in the world. It was originally
built in 1954 with just a wooden stand and subsequently
upgraded on numerous occasions over the following 100 years.

28. By the time the ground was used for the 1956 games, 103,000
were in the stadium to watch the opening event. Today the
capacity remains just over 100,000. Closely beating Buenos Aires
in the vote, Melbourne was the first Olympics held in the
adamo-studio.com Southern hemisphere.

29. 15. Stadio Olimpico
1960 Rome
Opened in 1937, the Stadio Olimpico is the home stadium of
football clubs Lazio and Roma. When the stadium was used for
the 1960 Olympics it had a capacity of 65,000 though today it has
room for over 7,000 more people.

30. The games are famous for a boxer named ‘Cassius Marcellus Clay’
winning gold in the light-heavyweight category.
adamo-studio.com

31. 16. National Olympic Stadium
1964 Tokyo
Opened in 1958, the Olympic stadium was first used for the 1958
Asian Games and was later used for the 1964 Olympics. It has a
capacity of 57,363.

32. The stadium will be used for the 2019 Rugby World Cup and with
Tokyo one of three cities in line for the 2020 Olympics, there is a
possibility that the National Olympic Stadium will be the
centerpiece of the Olympics again. The 1964 event marked the
adamo-studio.com first time the games had ever been held in Asia.

33. 17. Estadio Olímpico Universitario
1968 Mexico City
Opened in 1952 with a capacity of 70,000, the Estadio Olímpico
Universitario was upgraded to accommodate 83,700 spectators
for the 1968 games. Today the stadium has a capacity of 63,186
and is home to American football team Pumas Dorados de la
UNAM and football team Pumas de la Universidad.

34. Mexico City proved to be a controversial choice for many athletes
due to the city’s altitude of 2,300 metres above sea level. This
proved to be a big problem for long distance runners and others
adamo-studio.com in endurance events.

35. 18. Olympiastadion München
1972 Munich
The former home of football teams Bayern Munich and TSV 1860
Munich, the Olympiastadion was initially built with a capacity of
80,000. In addition to the 1972 Olympic games, this beautiful
stadium also hosted the 1974 FIFA World Cup Final, 1988
European Cup Final and European Cup Finals in 1979, 1993 and
1997.

36. Sadly, the 1972 games will always be remembered with the
terrible acts of the terrorist group Black September in which two
Israeli athletes, nine hostages, one policeman and five terrorists
adamo-studio.com were killed.

37. 19. Stade Olympique
1976 Montreal
Built as the main stadium for the 1976 Summer Olympic Games,
the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, also known as ‘The Big O’, has
one of the most unique designs in Olympic history. The design
was one of the main causes for the stadium not being completed
in time for the games.

38. When the games opened it had a capacity of 58,500 though the
planned roof was not added until several years later. 22 African
countries boycotted the games due to New Zealand attending as
adamo-studio.com their Rugby team had toured apartheid South Africa.

39. 20. Luzhniki Stadium
1980 Moscow
A grand stadium that was opened in the Summer of 1956. During
the 1980 Olympic games, Luzhniki Stadium had a capacity of
103,000 though today the capacity has been reduced to 78,360.

40. The stadium will be used for the final of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The USA boycotted the 1980 games in protest of the Soviet
adamo-studio.com invasion of Afghanistan.

41. 21. Olympic Stadium
1988 Seoul
Used for the 1986 Asian Games and 1988 Olympics, the Olympic
stadium initially had a capacity of 100,000. It has since been
reduced to around 70,000.

42. The 1988 games are remembered for Ben Johnson setting a world
record in the 100 metres, only for it to be revoked after he tested
adamo-studio.com
positively for steroids.

43. 22. Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys
1992 Barcelona
The Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys was built in 1927 for the
international expo that was being held two years later. It was also
used for Barcelona’s bid for the games in 1936 though they lost
out to Berlin. The stadium was renovated for the 1992 Olympic
games.

44. Today it has a capacity of around 56,000 but during the games it
had a capacity of just over 67,000. It has been used for a lot of
adamo-studio.com
large football events and concerts over the years.

45. 23. Centennial Olympic Stadium
1996 Atlanta
A great looking stadium that was built specifically or the 1996
games in Atlanta. For the games the ground had a capacity of
85,000.

46. The stadium was later renamed Turner Field and is home to the
baseball team the Atlanta Braves. As a result of this its capacity
was reduced over the years.This was clearly planned from the
start as the stadium has a similar design to most baseball
adamo-studio.com grounds. Today the stadium can hold 49,586 spectators.

47. 24. Stadium Australia
2000 Sydney
In 1956 Australia used a stadium which could accommodate
100,000 people in Melbourne.

48. When the games were held in Sydney in 2000 they built a
stadium which had a capacity of over 110,000. Stadium Australia
is nothing short of impressive and is the largest stadium ever
adamo-studio.com used in the Olympics.

49. 25. Olympic Stadium
2004 Athens
In 2004 the Olympics finally returned to Athens. This time the
newly renovated Olympic Stadium was used instead of
Panathinaiko Stadium as the main venue. The Olympic Stadium
had a capacity of 71,030 during the games though the official
capacity for football games is 75,000 (it is a 5 star UEFA approved
stadium).

50. The stadium is used as the home ground of all three football
teams in Athens: AEK Athens, Panathinaikos and Olympiacos
adamo-studio.com Piraeus.

51. 26. Beijing National Stadium
2008 Beijing
Known as the ‘Bird’s Nest’, Beijing National Stadium is a beautiful
design that captured the world’s attention. It initially had a
capacity of 91,000 but this was reduced to 80,000 after the 2008
Olympic games.

52. The games were the most watched to date with over seven
adamo-studio.com hundred million people watching the events worldwide.

53. 27. Olympic Stadium
2012 London
This Summer the world will be watching as London hosts the
2012 Olympic games. The newly built Olympic Stadium was built
on an island and has a capacity of 80,000. With many cities
struggling to find a use for stadiums after the Olympics are
finished, a lot of thought went into how the stadium would be
used in 2013 and beyond. The bottom tier of the stadium
accommodates 25,000 people whilst the top tier can hold 55,000
people.

54. This top layer can be removed or modified easily later to reduce
the capacity of the stadium if necessary. Currently there are a lot
of different parties bidding to use the stadium including the
football teams West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur. As yet, no
decision has been made as to who will own the stadium and how
adamo-studio.com it will be used after this Summer’s games.

55. 28. Estádio do Maracanã
2016 Rio
The world famous Maracanã will host the 2016 Olympic games in
Rio. The stadium was opened in 1950 in time for the 1950 FIFA
World Cup. That years’ final between Brazil and Uruguay had an
unbelievable 199,854 people inside the stadium watching.

56. The current capacity is 92,000. Rio is also hosting the 2014 FIFA
World Cup so is making some improvements for these events.
The roof is being extended in order to cover all seats in the
stadium and the seating arrangement inside is being changed
adamo-studio.com (which may change the capacity of the stadium).

57. THANK YOU
(adamo-studio.com)
Inspiration: Kevin Muldoo & Noupe.com
Contact me: Steve Nguyen
tuan.nm@skymedia.vn