Although the Olympic Games are considered the most important set of sporting competitions in the world, architecture and art were part of this great event in previous decades.
According to ancient Greek philosophy, it was not only important to exercise the body, but also to cultivate the mind. Therefore, sport and art were considered complementary, the perfect pairing for achieving harmony and balance.
Balance of mind and body
Following the philosophy of ancient Greece, the founder of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the modern Olympic Games, Baron Pierre de Coubertin , believed that sporting competitions would not be complete if different artistic disciplines were not included.
Therefore, in 1904, Coubertin proposed to the Olympic Congress the inclusion of various categories such as literature, music, painting, and sculpture, in addition to architecture . However, due to the limited time available to organize the 1908 London Olympic Games, this idea had to wait until Stockholm 1912 to become a reality.
Architecture at the Olympic Games
Initially, there was considerable skepticism surrounding architecture and other artistic disciplines in the Olympic Games , as there were no established categories within them, making evaluation difficult . However, the 1928 Amsterdam Olympic Games introduced categories for Mixed Architecture and Urban Planning.
Despite the efforts, the architectural competitions proved confusing, as some of the competitors were experienced professionals and projects were inaugurated before the event, the Olympic Stadium by Jan Wils , which won the gold medal in Architecture in 1928 and was the venue for the games.
Therefore, architecture and the other arts were part of the Olympic Games until 1948 , when the International Olympic Committee concluded that it would be better to replace the competitions in these disciplines with art exhibitions that complemented the event.
Winners in Architecture
Some of the most notable gold medal in the various architecture categories of the Olympic Games were:
Mixed architecture
- Gold Medal 1912: Eugène-Edouard Monod & Alphonse Laverrière for the construction plan of a modern stadium
Architectural designs
- Gold Medal 1928: Jan Wils for the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam
- Gold Medal 1932: Gustave Saacké, Pierre Bailly, & Pierre Montenot for the design of Cirque pour Toros
- Gold Medal 1936: Hermann Kutschera for the Ski Stadium
- Gold Medal 1948: Adolf Hoch for Skisprungschanze auf dem Kobenzl
Town planning
- Gold medal 1928: Alfred Hensel for the Nuremberg Stadium
- Gold Medal 1932: John Hughes for the Design of a Recreational and Sports Centre with Stadium in Liverpool
- Gold Medal 1936: Werner & Walter March for the Reich Sports Field
- Gold medal 1948: Yrjö Lindegren for the Varkaus Athletics Center in Finland
Despite their importance, some of the architectural projects and other artistic categories of the Olympic Games were forgotten over the years , and some even failed to materialize due to a lack of capacity and resources.
There are some award-winning venues that are still preserved, such as the Amsterdam Olympic Stadium, designed by architect Jan Wils who won a gold medal in 1928, or the Payne Whitney Gymnasium at Yale University, designed by architect John Russell Pope who won a silver medal in 1932.
Other well-known landmarks include the Thomas Jefferson Memorial and the Olympic Stadium in Wrocław , designed by architect Richard Konwiarz, who won a bronze medal at the 1932 Games.
Source: https://www.admagazine.com/
