The architect of Munich’s 1972 Olympic Stadium, Günter Behnisch, died July 12 in Stuttgart, Germany. He was 88. The tentlike structure of the stadium—designed in collaboration with Frei Otto—was intended to be a symbol of a democratic Germany. Behnisch “stood for the architectural expression of Germany’s transformation into a democratic, freer and more social society,” according to a statement by his office, Behnisch Architekten.
Behnisch designed schools and universities throughout the country during his career. He also designed the Parliament building for West Germany in Bonn. But his 1973 competition-winning design wasn’t approved for construction until 1987, and by its completion in 1992, East and West Germany had reunited, and the capital had moved to Berlin, so the structure never saw its intended occupants.
Behnisch often collaborated with his son, architect Stefan Behnisch, who has established his own remarkable profile through his state-of-the-art work in sustainable design.
Günter Behnisch was born in Dresden in 1922 and opened his office in Stuttgart in 1952.
