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In the Shadow of the Parthenon

"The return of the Olympic Games to their country of origin provides an opportunity for renewal," Calatrava explained shortly before the games began. "The renewal is possible, first of all, for Athens itself. To their great credit, Greece and the Athens 2004 organization have been determined to make the most of this occasion. But I also think there is an occasion for renewal for the visitors to the competitions, and for the people who will follow the competitions on television."

"Many people today have lost touch with this source," the architect continued. "They are unaware, for example, that Marathon is a place. I believe that people from around the world will find it fascinating and very moving to connect the Olympic Games to these sites. That encounter has also been crucial to me in the work I have been allowed to contribute."

There was no shortage of architectural history to draw from. In fact, there was arguably too much to incorporate. While many may think of the classical tradition of Greek culture, such as that articulated in the columns and architraves of the Parthenon, Calatrava also drew from a later Greek tradition: the Byzantine.

The arches and vaults associated with the Byzantine style would be more suitable for modern purposes, the architect believed, particularly in spanning very large spaces, such as the Olympic Stadium. "However," he noted, "the sequence of the [civic] space in plan is very classical, with the central axes, Agora, Plaza of the Nations, and stoa-like entrance plazas."

Calatrava also drew from the Mediterranean style in the landscaping and in his choice of materials, such as ceramic tile. "So I would say," Calatrava concluded, "that the plan is classical, the elevations are Byzantine, and the spirit is Mediterranean."

Roofing the Stadium

Usually an architect's most significant contribution to an Olympics site is the stadium. In Athens, one of Calatrava's jobs was to design a new roof for an existing 72,000-seat stadium originally designed by Rudolf Moser. The roof partially covers the seating, in case of inclement weather, while also signaling to the world that great Greek architecture is not limited to ancient times. The polycarbonate roof is suspended by steel cables from tubular steel arches that reach a height of about 236 feet (72 meters) and span 997 feet (304 meters).

Unfortunately, the stadium received bad press — not because of the design, which most agree is breathtaking, with its quintessentially Calatravian dramatically soaring white arches — but because of budget overruns and delays. The $303 million price tag is triple the original estimate, and final construction was completed just hours before the opening ceremonies.

Both complaints have been an "Achilles's heel" for the architect in the past. To his credit, however, Calatrava designed the roof structures for the Olympic Stadium and adjacent velodrome (which also got a new roof, this one highlighted by twin arches supporting transverse ribs) so they could be largely prefabricated off-site, reducing costs somewhat and staving off what could have been an unfinished set of projects by the beginning the 2004 games.

Enduring Civic Spaces

All the facilities were completed on time, despite the pregame worry, and are outstanding in composition. In addition to the stadium roofs, Calatrava created the Agora, a curving promenade running along the northern edge of the site with 99 tubular, vaulted steel arches. These anchor a 200,000-square-foot (18,600-square-meter) pedestrian arcade and connect to a beautifully landscaped band of water and trees.

The curving Agora defines a semicircular, central gathering place, the Plaza of the Nations. This area was built to accommodate as many as 300,000 people in a setting resembling a sloping, landscaped amphitheater. More than the other structures, arguably, the Plaza of the Nations will remain useful to nearby residents of the northern suburban area of Athens.

On the other side of the Plaza of the Nations is the Nations Wall, incorporating more tubular steel elements. This 850-foot-long (259-meter-) sculpture moves in a wavelike motion to alternate light and shadow in a dramatic form.

A key to Calatrava's master plan is pedestrian access, with four new entrance plazas acting both ceremonially and practically to connect with a central path around the complex and to the nearby Irinis Railway Station.

Only time will tell how much of this renowned designer's work will truly remain of lasting use and significance to Athens and its people. But as the city strives to show that the distant past is not Greece's only architectural legacy, it's hard to imagine a better shoulder to tap than that of this poet of arching modern forms.   >>>

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Brian Libby is a Portland, Oregon-based freelance writer who has also published in Metropolis, The New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, and Architectural Record.

The stadium roof by Santiago Calatrava partially covers an existing stadium and is suspended from two massive tubular arches. Photo: Barbara Burg/ Oliver Schuh Entrance canopy at the 2004 Olympic Stadium in Athens. Photo: Barbara Burg/ Oliver Schuh Entrance canopy detail. Photo: Barbara Burg/ Oliver Schuh Calatrava's Agora is a curving promenade with 99 tubular, vaulted steel arches. Photo: Barbara Burg/ Oliver Schuh The Agora at night. Photo: Barbara Burg/ Oliver Schuh Inside the Agora. Photo: Barbara Burg/ Oliver Schuh Detail of the Agora. Photo: Barbara Burg/ Oliver Schuh The 2004 Olympic Stadium in Athens, centerpiece of work by Santiago Calatrava. Photo: Barbara Burg/ Oliver Schuh   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.