What makes a successful Olympic city? | Lawrence Nield and Philip Thalis

This week marks 25 years since the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games – an event that reshaped the city through an ambitious masterplan developed by a team of built environment professionals, including architects Lawrence Nield and Philip Thalis. Lawrence, a founding director of BVN and the 2012 Gold Medallist, has contributed to three Olympic Games: Sydney 2000, Beijing 2008 and London 2012. Philip, founding principal of Hill Thalis Architecture and Urban Projects and the 2024 Gold Medallist, also played a significant role in the Sydney masterplan. In today’s episode, they discuss the city-making potential of the Olympics, the planning and design thinking behind a successful games, and how the profession might shape the urban legacy of Brisbane 2032.   Further reading: Olympics Update https://architectureau.com/articles/olympics-update/ Sydney’s Olympics https://architectureau.com/articles/sydneys-olympics/ Lawrence Nield on deciphering the meaning of architecture and the role of the architect https://architectureau.com/articles/lawrence-nield-on-deciphering-the-meaning-of-architecture-and-the-role-of-the-architect/ Avoiding substance abuse https://architectureau.com/articles/avoiding-substance-abuse/ Built environment institutes call for design input over Brisbane 2032 Olympics https://architectureau.com/articles/Built-environment-bodies-call-for-design-input-over-Brisbane-2032-Olympics/ Don’t let this opportunity go to waste: A tale of two cities https://architectureau.com/articles/dont-let-this-opportunity-go-to-waste-a-tale-of-two-cities/ Design review is the missing piece of the Olympics puzzle https://architectureau.com/articles/design-review-is-the-missing-piece-of-the-olympics-puzzle/ Woolloongabba can win gold https://architectureau.com/articles/woolloongabba-can-win-gold/ Brisbane 2032: pathways to legacy https://architectureau.com/articles/brisbane-2032-pathways-to-legacy/ The complicated Olympics planning process https://architectureau.com/articles/the-complicated-olympics-planning-process/ The Brisbane olympics: a marathon or a sprint? https://architectureau.com/articles/the-brisbane-olympics-a-marathon-or-a-sprint/