The 1960s and early 1970s were a time of great excitement. Nearly 30 years after the last Olympic Games in Germany, held back then under the Nazi dictatorship, the spectacle was to take place once again in the land of poets and thinkers. The old stadium in Berlin, built of massive concrete and steel, was considered completely out of place. The goal was to take a strong stand against the past and distance itself from the 1930s and 1940s.
The architecture, too, was meant to make a global statement: It was simply perfect for the construction of a new stadium. This allowed Germany to prove on the world stage that those dark times were far behind it. Something new was needed. And so the Olympic Stadium in Munich was born. No reinforced concrete blocks. No heavy steel roofs. Instead, transparent glass surfaces, curved shapes, and a roof that seems to float.
In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at how this extraordinary structure came to be. An architectural revolution and, at the same time, a technical masterpiece—true engineering artistry. Join us as we dive into the construction industry at the end of the 20th century. Let’s set off together into a new era of architecture: the Olympic Stadium in Munich.
Construction Industry of 20th Century: Solid Means Safe
In the construction industry, a very simple principle held true well into the 20th century: solid structures are very stable. Spanning large surfaces with a roof required a great deal of material. Solid steel, numerous thick beams, and massive amounts of concrete. Sure, it worked. But it wasn’t attractive, nor was it even remotely efficient.
So why not build lighter? Lightweight structures were considered risky. What if the structure ended up collapsing? Public ridicule, damage to one’s reputation in professional circles: No one wanted to risk that. At least, not until Frei Otto entered the construction industry scene. Incidentally, there was someone in the U.S. who faced ‘’'the same problem'‘’, only in the field of high-rise structures.
Fazlur Rahman Khan also took a firm stand against the prevailing structural system: solid means safe. Thanks to him, we have modern skyscrapers today. If you’re interested in his story, feel free to check it out here: Fazlur Rahman Khan: Father of Skylines .
Olympic Stadium in Munich: New Symbol for Germany
We already mentioned this at the beginning: The 1972 Olympic Games were very important for Germany. The country deliberately sought to project a different image to the outside world than it had under the Nazi regime. Openness, democracy, and transparency were at the top of the list. A classic, monumental stadium was completely out of the question for this purpose.
Günter Behnisch’s office, Behnisch & Partner, won the second architectural competition with an open, nature-inspired concept. However, the biggest challenge was the stadium roof. Here, Behnisch drew inspiration from the works of Frei Otto, which he had seen at the world's fair in Montreal. So he brought Otto on board right away.
Munich Olympic Stadium: From Model to Reality
Even already back then, Frei Otto enjoyed an outstanding reputation when it came to structures that looked unusually light. He proposed building a roof not on massive columns, but using stress instead. How was that supposed to work?
Together with other designers, he developed a concept that was met with skepticism by many members of the public as well as experts in the field: a visually floating structure made of tensioned cables and glass. Stability here does not come from massive beams, but arises from tensile forces.
Frei Otto applied his principle here of letting nature do the engineering. He developed models made of soap films, fabric, and suspended nets. After all—and we sometimes forget this in the construction industry—nature already shows us which shapes are the most stable and efficient. So he let his physical models calculate the ideal structure—a quick reminder: structural analysis software didn’t exist back then. That made such models all the more important.
Olympic Roof: Technical Sensation
On June 9, 1969, construction began on what was undoubtedly the most spectacular stadium in the world at the time. In addition to the Munich Olympic Stadium, which could be used for a variety of events, an Olympic Indoor Swimming Pool and the Olympic Hall were also built. The buildings are nestled within the Olympic Park. The goal was not simply to create a venue, but a harmonious landscape, a cohesive overall concept.
Green spaces, artificial hills and landscaped ponds were limited by narrow paths that deliberately did not follow any rigid axes. Everything—absolutely everything—was meant to be different from the Berlin of the 1930s. Particularly interesting in this context: many of the artificially mounded hills consist in part of rubble from World War II. From the remains of old Munich, something entirely new emerged: a place of encounter.
So let’s move on to the most exciting part of the entire complex. The highlight of the Olympic Park is undoubtedly the transparent roof. It spans not only the Munich Olympic Stadium but also parts of the Olympic Hall and the areas connecting the two. This creates a very special effect: everything appears as a single unit. This reflects the idea of democracy.
Munich Olympic Stadium: Construction of Roof Structure
From a structural engineering perspective, the structure of the roof at the Munich Olympic Stadium is absolutely ingenious. Various high steel columns bear the main loads. When viewed in conjunction with the rest of the structure, they look almost like trees. The enormous steel cable mesh resembles interlocking tree canopies that blend seamlessly into the artificially created landscape. Rarely has steel looked so elegant.
You might be wondering: How is the stability of the roof at the Olympic Stadium in Munich achieved? It’s just masts and cables, after all! In conventional reinforced concrete structures, stability is achieved through compression on the supporting structure. In the case of the Munich stadium roof, however, the designers relied on tension forces rather than compressive forces.
The cables stabilize each other through this prestress. When forces act on the structure—for example, from wind or the self-weight—they are distributed across the entire network. The tall masts then transfer these forces directly to the anchors in the ground. Incidentally, the method of prestressing steel cables originates from bridge construction. More specifically, Eugène Freyssinet was the first to come up with the idea of working with prestressed steel to make structures more elegant and with improved load-bearing capacities . If you’re interested in this topic, feel free to check it out:.
For the roof surfaces of the Munich Olympic Stadium, the designers relied on transparent acrylic glass panels. Unlike steel, these have virtually no self-weight and, in combination with the cables and masts, form an extremely lightweight structure. At the same time—and this was crucial—this structural system is also very flexible and withstands environmental influences without any problems.
Contributors to Roof Structure
The design and structure of the roof for the Munich Olympic Stadium, however, was a real challenge. Frei Otto served as a technical development consultant to the architectural office Behnisch & Partner. But they were by no means the only well-known names who worked on this project.
To ultimately be able to implement the roof structure, Fritz Leonhardt and Wolfhardt Andrä, who ran a joint engineering office, were absorbed into the architectural team, among others. By the way, we’ve already written about Fritz Leonhardt in our blog. Feel free to check it out: Fritz Leonhardt – Engineer Who Makes Concrete Float .
Everyone on this team of experts had their very own task. Project planning was led by architect Fritz Auer, while Frei Otto developed parts of the roof using the trial-and-error method. How did it all work? He built increasingly larger scale models of the roof, and whenever the structure failed, he took a step back to start over.
Meanwhile, Andrä and Leonhardt worked on calculating sections of the roof using early CAD programs. On April 21, 1972, the moment had finally arrived. The roof of the Olympic Stadium in Munich was completed, and to this day, this gigantic structure floats almost as light as a feather over the Olympic complex.
Munich Olympic Stadium: Influence on Modern Architecture
The Munich Olympic Stadium was intended to be a symbol of Germany's new beginning—and it certainly lived up to that expectation. The roof structure, in particular, became world-famous and inspired numerous well-known structures that would follow. Every major city wanted such a monument to lightness. A fusion of prestige and art.
Another architect who specializes in curved, almost floating structures is Santiago Calatrava. Find out here why his large-scale projects are repeatedly the subject of criticism and why he has since become a persona non grata in his home country: Between Elegance and Escapade: Santiago Calatrava .
Ultimately, the roof structure at the Munich Olympic Stadium changed the way engineers thought. Material efficiency and stability could be reconciled. After all, nature and architecture should not be mutually exclusive; on the contrary—they can be brilliantly combined.
Conclusion: Munich Olympic Stadium
The Munich Olympic Stadium is far more than just a venue for sporting events. It has become a symbol of how new beginnings often require a good dose of courage. But in the end, it’s worth it. Innovation in an industry as traditional as construction is never easy. The results are all the more impressive when a new idea finally catches on.
Today, the Olympic Stadium in Munich is used for all kinds of events. For example, from 1972 to 2005, it served as the home stadium of FC Bayern Munich. In 1974, the FIFA World Cup was held there, and in 1988, the UEFA Euro took place there. For decades, the Olympic Stadium in Munich was one of the most important football arenas in Europe and definitely one of the most beautiful in the world.
It provided a spectacular roof, and the stadium was, of course, also an ideal venue for concerts. Over the decades, international superstars such as Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones, Queen, U2, AC/DC, and Coldplay have performed there. But even today, unusual events like Supercross, motorsports shows, winter sports events, and other extreme sports events continue to take place there from time to time.
So if you ever find yourself there for an event—or even just in the city—why not book a stadium tour! You can even take part in guided climbing tours on the roof structure. It’s a truly special experience. This will give you a unique insight into all the engineering ingenuity that went into this structural project.
A complex of buildings featuring innovative structures: The Olympic Stadium in Munich has an absolutely unique history. Built for just a few weeks of the Olympic Games, it remains one of the city’s iconic landmarks to this day. It’s definitely worth a visit.