Hosting the Olympics is a time to show off your nation’s building prowess. But what if the venues could simply float away after the medals are handed out?
One architect has noticed the huge cost of building new venues for the Olympics – London just completed its main Olympic Stadium to the tune of £486 million ($777 million), and that’s just one piece of the puzzle. He’s taken to the drawing board to figure out a method of making an Olympic bid actually affordable.
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Michael Burt, professor emeritus of architecture at Technion Israel Institute of Technology, drew up plans for reusable, floatable Olympic facilities that can be transported along already-existing waterways.
His primary plan is for a major stadium that can hold as many as 150,000 spectators, with add-ons that can float on up to the venue for additional spaces, like housing and offices. The configurations are endless, Burt says, explaining that “such a complex could be reused many times a year.”
Though there are some hurdles to Burt’s plan. The host city would have to be located along a body of water large enough to fit all the floating buildings. And one expert notes the threat of piracy (but good luck pioneering one of these floating islands!).
Plus, it would take away from the stunning architectural achievement if each host city were to use the same stadiums year after year. But let’s hope, for the sake of sustainability, that Burt’s idea floats on.
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