Olympia Schwimmhalle

The Olympia-Schwimmhalle stands in Munich’s Olympiapark, a modern aquatics centre built for the 1972 Summer Olympics. Its lightweight roof curves like a stretched membrane, held by tensioned wires rather than heavy supports. The building once held 9,000 seats during the Games but now seats only 1,500 after temporary stands were removed. Inside, the pool hosted swimming, diving, water polo and the swimming part of the modern pentathlon. All Olympic records fell during the 29 swimming events, while twenty world records were broken. The hall is remembered for two legendary Olympic feats. Australian swimmer Shane Gould won three golds, a silver and a bronze in 1972 to become the first woman to earn five individual medals. American Mark Spitz set a new record with seven golds in a single Olympics, a mark later surpassed by Michael Phelps in 2008. These achievements turned the pool into a stage for history-making performances. Visitors today find a calm, curved-roof hall beside the Olympic lake. The same pool still hosts training and competitions, its lanes echoing past victories. Outside, the glass walls reflect Olympiapark’s green slopes and the Olympiaturm’s tower. The roof’s double curvature remains a marvel of engineering, visible from inside and out. The space feels both historic and alive, where every splash recalls the records once broken beneath its light roof.