Much has been written about the chaos in Athens preceding the Olympic Games, but Santiago Calatrava has always been convinced that the measures would be completed in time. In October 2001, he was commissioned
with the planning of the scheme, and construction work commenced at the beginning of 2003. The main goal was to restructure the Olympics complex in the north of Athens and to unify it in appearance. The design of the tennis, swimming and sports halls was the responsibility of other architects. The spine of Calatrava’s master plan runs between the two dominant structures: the cycling arena and the main stadium. To the south, this axis is flanked by the so-called “Nations’ Wall”, a 500-metre-long and 20-metre-high moving sculpture consisting of white, vertical steel tubes fixed in the middle to a continuous beam. The vertical elements can be tipped backwards and forwards mechanically, so that the structure resembles a curtain in the wind. The “wall” also provides shade in the afternoon and screens off the older sports halls that do not quite comply with Calatrava’s aesthetic.
with the planning of the scheme, and construction work commenced at the beginning of 2003. The main goal was to restructure the Olympics complex in the north of Athens and to unify it in appearance. The design of the tennis, swimming and sports halls was the responsibility of other architects. The spine of Calatrava’s master plan runs between the two dominant structures: the cycling arena and the main stadium. To the south, this axis is flanked by the so-called “Nations’ Wall”, a 500-metre-long and 20-metre-high moving sculpture consisting of white, vertical steel tubes fixed in the middle to a continuous beam. The vertical elements can be tipped backwards and forwards mechanically, so that the structure resembles a curtain in the wind. The “wall” also provides shade in the afternoon and screens off the older sports halls that do not quite comply with Calatrava’s aesthetic.