Sport and Architecture

Sport and architecture are two of the social practices in contemporary life with the broadest impact on the world around us. The role architecture plays in shaping buildings and societies has occupied historians, critics, and urban theorists for centuries. Likewise the cultural, economic, and political importance of sport is the subject of sustained and substantial inquiry. When sport and architecture converge, as in the London Olympics or Brazil's World Cup in 2014, then the impact of these two forms of social activity is redoubled.

In spite of the myriad examples of the rich and complex relationship between sport and architecture, there is a relative paucity of scholarly work exploring that relationship. This volume seeks to begin filling that gap in the scholarly literature. It explores the history of sports architecture and examines the types of buildings and events that create sites where sport and architecture converge in particularly telling ways. By considering the importance of architectural form alongside key themes such as urban redevelopment, nationalism, social activism, identity, and global capitalism, this book represents a landmark study for anybody interested in the social and cultural significance of architecture or sport.

Benjamin S. Flowers is an Associate Professor in the School of Architecture at Georgia Institute of Technology, USA. His work examines architecture as a form of social activity situated within the intersecting spheres of politics, culture, and economy. Looking in particular at skyscrapers and stadiums, he focuses on the ways these structures are constructed, the ends to which they are used, and the nature of public reaction to them. His research has attracted recognition and funding from Columbia University’s Buell Center for Architecture, Cornell University’s John Nolen Fellowship, the Society of Architectural Historians, and the Hagley Museum and Library