Art & Art History
Department

Olympic Games of Seoul, Korea & Barcelona, Spain: Vehicles for Postmodern Architecture

Abstract:  The celebration of mega events such as Universal Expositions and the Olympic Games has been an important catalyst for city landscape transformation. Residents of Olympic host cities witness a large number of infrastructural changes such as the creation of new roads, the expansion of public transportation facilities, and the creation of open spaces. However, these developments were not characteristic of the modern Olympics when they were first celebrated during the late 1800’s. With the intensification of capitalism and globalization and the amplified media coverage presently surrounding the event, the weight placed on the host cities has increased. For cities such as Barcelona, Spain and Seoul, Korea the ultimate goal of hosting the Olympics was to symbolically participate with the globalized countries of the modern world. Citizens witnessed wide scale remodeling of urban infrastructures, new architecture, and beautified landscapes in preparation for the Games. These Olympic facilities were to be broadcasted around the world during the event’s two-week span, providing each city with an opportunity to create a global identity. With a cold shoulder turned to the abstract geometric forms of modern architecture, the developers of Seoul and Barcelona looked to the collage-like qualities of postmodern architecture, combining forms of the past and present, global and regional thus allowing designers to pick and choose the best traits from each. Through the creation of structures with such an agenda, each city was branded with a modern yet culturally specific identity to be broadcasted around the world as the Olympic Games passed through.