Olympic Athletic Centre of Athens (OAKA)

What I can see

The Olympic complex is located in Maroussi. The area was chosen for a reason. In ancient times, this was the municipality where the goddess Artemis Amarissia was worshiped (Amarinthos in Evia< Amaroussio< Maroussi) through musical and athletic contests. The Olympic Athletic Centre of Athens “Spiros Louis” (OAKA) consists of five main facilities, several auxiliary ones and the surroundings. The stadium has a capacity of 70,098 seats. The Indoor Sports Centre (18,800 seats) was constructed in six levels, so that it can be evacuated in just 10 minutes. The Aquatics Centre occupies 70 acres and features an outdoor swimming pool (8,000 seats) and an indoor one (5,500 seats). Inside the area of the indoor pool, four concrete pillars support the roof frame, spanning 108 metres, the largest opening of an indoor pool in the world. The Tennis Centre (8,300 seats) has 16 US Open type courts. The Velodrome (5,250 seats) roof consists of two parts. The surroundings of the complex include the Roman corner (west), the eastern sector, the Wall of Nations (a 250×20-metre metal sculpture), which acts as a giant screen and has a special mechanism forming waves and, finally, the Agora, a light curved metal construction with a recurring motif, which is surrounded by water and trees. Thanks to its extensive flat surfaces, the Olympic Complex is a great place for biking, roller-skating, jogging and walking. The maintenance of the venues after the 2004 Olympic Games was inadequate, but current efforts are being made to address this issue.

What I can't see

The Olympic Stadium was named “Spyros Louis” after the homonymous winner of the marathon at the 1896 Athens Olympic Games. When the stadium was built, the goal was for Athens to progressively acquire the necessary facilities to be able to host the Olympics. The Olympic Stadium has also hosted World and European Championships, Mediterranean Games, Special Olympics, concerts and cultural events, culminating in the Olympic and Paralympic Games of 2004. The Olympic Stadium hosted the opening and closing ceremonies, the athletics events and the football final, while the Indoor Sports Centre hosted basketball and the gymnastics events. The Aquatics Centre hosted swimming, synchronized swimming and water polo events. Undertaking mega events in the era of postmodernism, such as the contemporary Olympic Games, requires luxurious facilities of “internationalized” architecture and is considered vital to the image and promotion of the hosting city and its standing among cities internationally.

Here, you can watch the 2004 Olympics opening ceremony:



And here, you can watch the 2004 Olympics closing ceremony:

Info

• Address: 37 Kifisias Av., Marousi
• Postal Code : 15123
• Phone: +30 210 6834777
• Website: http://www.oaka.com.gr/

Bibliography