Olympic Athletic Center of Athens

City
Athens
History

The Olympic Athletic Center of Athens, also known as OAKA, is one of the most complete European athletic complexes. The Main Olympic Stadium was designed in 1979 and inaugurated in 1982 at the 13th European Athletics Championship. The following years a number of other sport facilities surrounded the Main Olympic Stadium: the Olympic Velodrome (inaugurated in 1991), the Olympic Aquatics Center (1991), the Olympic Indoor Sports Center (1995), the Olympic Tennis Center (2004), as well as other supplementary sport facilities.

The Olympic Athletic Center of Athens hosted the Mediterranean Games in 1991, the World Championship in Athletics in 1997 as well as other important athletic and cultural events, the most significant of which remains the Athens Olympic Games in 2004.

Description

The Main Olympic Stadium is a modern facility, which provides athletes with all the latest amenities. It also includes areas for all the staff that is necessary for organizing major athletic and cultural events. The construction of the Stadium was complete in 1982. The famous roof, designed by the world-known architect Santiago Calatrava, was added for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. 

Inspired by the model of the ancient Greek meeting place, the Agora is a vaulted, modular structure of light steel, which runs in an arc along the northern edge of the Common Domain, alongside a dual band of water and trees. Enclosing a pedestrian arcade of some 18.600 m2 (200.000 sf), the Agora provides a pleasantly shady shelter, with fresh air, for the path and facilities within.

The Nations Wall is a sculpture made of tubular steel. Designed so that it can move mechanically in    a wavelike motion, the monumental sculpture is 250m (820ft) long by 20m (66ft).It is designed so that it could serve as a giant screen for projections.

 

Location Map

Olympic Athletic Center of Athens

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Location Address
Kifisias 37, Athens 151 23
Access

Athens Olympic Stadium is easily accessible by car as well as by public transport – bus, metro.

Access by Car - Exit the city centre to the north via Kifissias Avenue and just follow the roadsigns to "OAKA". If you come from the Attiki Odos ring road, use exit 11 ("Kifissias - Ol. Stadium").

Access by Bus - Use X14 from Syntagma Square in central Athens. It will take you directly to the Olympic Stadium. Allow at least 30', although this can vary a lot.

Access by Metro - It is a 25' ride from the city centre ("Omonia"). Use line 1 and get off at "Irini". From there it is a 10' walk through the Olympic Complex to the stadium.