The Olympic Games are always proceded by a furious amount of building as host cities construct arenas, pools, ski jumps, Olympic villages, and anything else the games demand. While some of the buildings are repurposed after the athletes depart, others are left to rot.


1936, Berlin

The Olympic Village


Before the WWII it was converted into a military school, but after the war it was used by Soviet forces for decades.


This image was lost some time after publication.

(via Slow Travel Berlin/Photo by Julia Stone, Flickr/Frederik Jacobs, DKB Stiftung, Fotocommunity/katinkahbg and Good Hard Working People)


1924, Paris


This is the place where the legendary "Flying Finn", Paavo Nurmi won five Gold medals, including two within an hour (1500m and 5000m).

(via Paris Invisible)

1948, London

The Wembley Palace of Engineering


This building held the fencing competition in 1948. Partially demolished in 2006, and now it's a warehouse.

(via Wikimedia Commons/oxyman)

1952, Helsinki

Ahvenisto Swimming Pool


(via Confidentielles)

1984, Sarajevo (Winter Olympics)

A Hotel on the way to Ski Jump


The Ski Jumping Ramp



The Bobsleigh Track


The Olympic Village


(via Dark Optics, Karen Barlow/cloudlessness and kc1yr/Sharon Machlis Gartenberg)

2004, Athens




(Photos by AP and Oceansvibe)

2008, Beijing

Beach Volleyball Stadium


Kayaking Venue


(via Limitless)