Sport and architecture are two elements of contemporary life that have a broad and profound impact on the world around us. The role architecture plays in shaping buildings and societies has occupied historians for centuries. Likewise, the cultural, economic, and political importance of sport is the subject of sustained academic inquiry. When sport and architecture converge, as in the 2012 London Olympics or the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, then the impact of these two forms of social activity is redoubled.

This book presents a new and dynamic study of the complex relationship between sport and architecture. It explores the history of sport architecture and examines the buildings and events that create sites where sport and architecture converge in particularly telling ways. Its chapters discuss the following topics:

sport architecture and urban redevelopment

sport architecture and technology

sport architecture and nationalism

sport architecture as social activism

sport architecture and global capitalism

By considering the importance of architectural form alongside these key themes, this book represents a landmark study for anybody interested in the social and cultural significance of architecture or sport.