In their creative diversity and yet clearly recognizable style, the stadia of the architects yon Gerkan,Marg und Partner represent an outstanding contri-bution to the architecture of sports arenas in the modern age. Quotations, essays, interviews, and com-mentaries on the choreography of the masses as well as a chronicle of the history of sports arenas worldwide provide an in-depth introduction to the subject.

Since the indisputably acclaimed modernization of the Olympie Stadium in Berlin at the very latest, the architectural team von Gerkan, Marg und Partner has established itself in the public eye as specialists in the field of sports arenas. The spectacular RheinEnergie Stadium in Cologne, the new Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt, and the Century Lotus Stadium in Foshan as well as a whole series of projects and build-ings in the Arab Gulf States, northern Africa, and China have set new standards around the world and clearly show the office's outstanding importance worldwide in this specialized branch of design.

Using examples of his own buildings and projects, Volkwin Marg shows how the various cultural contexts, the genius loci, different functions, and the particular construction merge to form the aesthetics of a distinctive architecture.With many plans and color illustrations, this monograph presents all of gmp's most recent sports stadia, as well as those currently under construction. It also sheds new light on this type of building, with its long tradition reaching back to antiquity.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,Italian Journey,Verona,September 16,1786

Etienne-Louis Boullee,Essai sur L'art(Essay on Art),ca.1784

Gustave le bon,Psychologie des Foules(The Crowd. A Study of the Pupular Mind),1895

Orchestration and Self-Awareness of the Masses

A Concise Cultural History of Sports Venues

Daniel Theweleit,Hubert Nienhoff,and Volkwin Marg in a Discussion on the Individual,the Crowd,and Symbolism

Olympic Stadium,Berlin

From the Racetract to New Olympis Stadium-a Historical Overview

Architecture:Choreography of the Masses

Dirk Meyhofer in a Discussion with Volkwin Marg

Workers' Olympics at the Waldstadion and Professional Soccer at the Commerzbank Arena

RheinEnergie Stadium,Cologne

From Adenauer's Culture of the Body in Cologne's Green Ring to the RheinEnergie Stadium

Century Lutus Sports Park,Foshan,China

Symbol Of A Prospering City in Southern China

National Stadium,Beijing,China

A Blossom Unfolds on the Olympic Green

Soccer Stadium,Siena,Italy

A landcape Arena in the Midth of Tuscany

Stadion der Freundschaft,Cottbus

Stands in the Park of the Prince of Puckler-Muskau

New Soccer Arena,Munich

A Sports Park North of Munich

Robert Bosch Arena,Stuttgart

The Vision of the Stuttgart Sports Forum

Olympic games2012,Hamburg

Hamburg's Bid for the Olympic Games

Dubai Sports City,United Arab Emirates

Architectural Traditions in the Arabian Desert

Chronology of Sports Venues by gmp