• The Olympics Return to Their Birthplace
    Awake!—2004 | August 8

    • And the Gold Goes to . . .

      When the fireworks go off at the opening ceremony of the games, the 75,000-seat Olympic Stadium will be the center of attraction. For many, this renovated stadium is the “jewel of the crown” of the Athens Olympic facilities. What makes this stadium unique is its roof, conceived and designed by the famous Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.

      An engineering wonder, the roof is made of glass panels weighing a total of 16,000 tons and is designed to cover an area of 108,000 square feet [10,000 sq m]. It will rest on two colossal arcs, each with a span of 997 feet [304 m] and a height of 262 feet [80 m]​—almost two thirds the size of Australia’s Sydney Harbour Bridge! The steel tubes making up the arcs weigh between 9,000 and 10,000 tons each and are “big enough to drive a bus through,” according to a construction expert. The total weight of the roof is expected to be two times that of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

      Why is such a giant roof needed? Think of the heat produced by the scorching August sun in Athens! The glass panels have a special coating that reflects 60 percent of the sunlight. There are other reasons too. The design of the roof was envisioned as the landmark of the games. As former Greek culture minister Evangelos Venizelos put it, “it is the big architectural landmark and the symbol of the Athens Olympic games.”