Wonders & blunders

I live close to the Olympia Park in Munich. It’s fantastic to see how the entire complex is modelled within the landscape and designed to be sensitive to, and fit minimally with, its function and the environment of the park.

The excellent roof merges with the landscape and the sky and changes its appearance with the seasons. It’s impressive that it was created at the end of the 1960s and manages to appear dynamic. Many contemporary buildings aim to do the same but often fail.

Dynamic beauty

Built for the 1972 Olympic Games by Gunther Behnisch and Frei Otto, Munich’s Olympia Park’s tensile structure and transparent perspex covering is in harmony with its natural surroundings

So far, Wembley stadium is the opposite of the Olympia Park. Unfortunately, it is one of the most prominent buildings in London.

I hope it looks better when it is completed than it does now.

From a distance, its arch promises to be a wonderfully dynamic structure, but when you look close up it’s disappointing to see a building that looks more like an office block than a sports venue.

The static appearance of the facade and the choice of the glazing spoil the character of a playful and vibrant stadium.

Office block

Designed by HOK Sport and Foster and Partners, Wembley stadium has made the headlines more often for its delays than its style