Barely completed in time, venues at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil are going south in a big way now that the athletes have left.

The Games of the XXXI Olympiad – Rio 2016 for short – were meant to do for Brazil what the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing did for China: announce the host nation’s arrival on the world stage.

Critics of Rio’s winning bid were placated by that old chestnut; “hosting the Games will bring improved infrastructure and services that will benefit residents far into the future.” So how’s that working out, less than a year after the circus left town?

Rio’s Olympics weren’t all that popular with cariocas (Rio de Janiero-ians) from the get-go, and let’s recall that Brazil’s economy was booming back in October of 2009 when the Games were awarded. In 2014, a massive financial scandal coupled with the onset of Brazil’s worst economic recession since 1990 put a huge financial squeeze on preparations for the Games. With funds tighter than a gymnast’s tendons, corners were cut and, well, you know the story – it’s a wonder the Games were as problem-free as they appeared on TV.

Good thing Rio’s poorer residents had so much to look forward to once the Games ended. Too bad their hopes focused on looting the lightly-guarded facilities of anything valuable – payback, of a sort, for their sense of disenfranchisement and a conviction that the only ones to benefit from the Olympic Games were the rich and powerful. These images depict the jewel in Rio’s Olympic crown, Maracanã Stadium, mere months after the Games ended with a bang at the Closing Ceremonies.

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These 12 jaw-dropping basketball courts stretch the limits of Dr. James Naismith’s original vision far beyond the prescient gym teacher’s wildest hoop dreams.

Inges Idee’s 3D² Court

(images via: 22 Words/Marcus Buck)

We’re not sure if the Occupational School Center Munich in Germany even has a basketball team but if they don’t, they should, since their decidedly out of the ordinary three-dimensional court takes the concept of home field advantage to absurd levels.

(images via: de-zen)

Titled 3D² by artist Inges Idee and created in 2006, the regulation-sized basketball court incorporates several of the existing lamp posts that – besides providing light – add an extra dimension of difficulty to any attempted game. According to Idee, playing on the computer-designed court “requires creative engagement for its use.” No kidding.

Space Jammed

(image via: SloTraveller)

Space is at a premium in the ancient seaside city of Dubrovnik but so is the desire to go one-on-one with one’s fellow dribblers. Captured magnificently by Flickr user SloTraveller, this otherwise unremarkable clay court shoehorned between centuries-old buildings is a favorite photographic subject aided by some spectacular points of view.

Ducks Dunks Deluxe

(images via: GoDucks.com and Siamese NYC)

“Riding the pine” took on a new and better meaning for members of the University of Oregon Ducks when, in 2011, their strikingly stenciled new basketball court was unveiled to the public. “We wanted to design the most iconic television presence possible for the University of Oregon,” explained Nike’s vice president for design and special projects Tinker Hatfield, “by conjuring up a highly unique and visible basketball floor design” at Matthew Knight Arena. We’d say they succeeded.

(image via: North By Northwestern)

Intended to reflect the view of someone looking skyward from a Pacific Northwest forest floor, the court is made from 6,944 square feet of sustainably-harvested Northern Hard Maple weighing approximately 45,000 total pounds. The graphics were completed by Idaho Falls, Idaho -based United Services using almost 2 miles of stencil material and requiring 2,500 man hours of labor.

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Over the last 116 years, Olympic stadiums have gone from sprawling marble structures made from ancient Greek ruins to strikingly illuminated bird’s nest-shaped buildings. Designed by architects like Santiago Calatrava, Herzog & de Meuron and Zaha Hadid, the following Olympic buildings – including stadiums, aquatics centers and even communications towers – stand out for their history, their looks and sometimes the creative uses they’re put to when the Games are over.

Panathinaiko Stadium, Athens, Greece (1896)

(images via: wikimedia commons)

The only major stadium still existing in the world that’s built entirely from marble, the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens – also known as Panathinaiko – was originally built for the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. It was reconstructed from the remains of an ancient Olympic stadium, used to host the athletic portion of the Panathenaic Games honoring the goddess Athena. It hosted the archery competition and the finish of the Marathon in the 2004 Olympic Games.

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (1932)

(images via: wikimedia commons)

This large outdoor stadium is the only one to have hosted the Olympic Games twice, in both 1932 and 1984, as well as Super Bowls and the World Series. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was commissioned in 1921 as a memorial to World War I veterans and was extended to a capacity of over 100,000 in 1930 in anticipation of the Olympics.

Helsinki Olympic Stadium (1938)

(images via: e-architect.uk)

The Helsinki Olympic Stadium was initially built to host the 1940 Summer Olympics, but they were moved to Tokyo due to World War II; it ultimately hosted them in 1952, years after the end of the war. At its peak it could hold over 70,000 spectators, but has since been modernized with a capacity of 40,600.  Its tower offers an impressive view of the city of Helsinki.

Stadio Olimpico del Ghiaccio, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy (1956)

(image via: wikimedia commons)

Architecturally, the Stadio Olimi\pico del Ghiaccio is probably not among the shining stars of Olympic stadiums, but it deserves a mention for two reasons: first of all, other than hosting the 1956 winter Olympics, it was featured in the James Bond movie For Your Eyes Only. Second, just look at those mountains. During the games, the stadium had no roof, with spectators gazing up at the Italian Alps.

National Olympic Stadium, Tokyo (1964)

(image via: wikimedia commons)

Tokyo’s National Olympic Stadium hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics and may do so again in 2020, if the city’s bid is accepted. Whether it secures the hosting honor or not, the city will be putting $1 billion into upgrades for the stadium in anticipation of the 2019 Rugby World Cup. The stadium survived the 2011 earthquake and tsunami completely intact, likely due to strict Japanese building codes.

Estadio Olimpico, Mexico City, Mexico (1968)

(image via: wikimedia commons)

Built on a volcanic stone surface, Mexico City’s Estadio Olimpico Universitario hosted the Olympic Games in 1986 and is home to the first all-weather running track to be used in the Olympics, now a requirement of all Olympic stadiums. Shaped like a volcano, the stadium also features a mural by famed Mexican artist Diego Rivera.

Olympiastadion in Munich, Germany (1972)

(image via: wikimedia commons)

Prior to Beijing’s flashy 2008 Olympic structures, the Olympiastadion in Munich was arguably the most visually engaging Olympic venue of the modern age. Its unusual appearance comes mostly from large, curving canopies of acrylic glass and steel cables that were meant to imitate the Alps and symbolize the  new, democratic Germany. It was constructed in a pit made by bombings that Munich suffered during World War II.

Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Canada (1976)

(image via: wikimedia commons)

Referred to as ‘The Big O’ for the doughnut-shape of its roof, Montreal’s Olympic Stadium hosted the 1976 Olympics and was used for the city’s professional baseball and football teams until 2004, when the Montreal Expos relocated to Washington, D.C. The stadium’s most notable feature is its incorporated tower, which is the tallest inclined tower in the world at 574 feet. The Olympic swimming pool is located under the tower, and the former Velodrome is now the Montreal Biodome, an indoor nature museum. The main part of the stadium is now only occasionally used for special events.

Montjuic Communications Tower, Barcelona, Spain (1992)

(images via: wikimedia commons)

This tower (right) didn’t host any Olympic events, but it was a crucial part of the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona nonetheless: it’s a communications tower, used to broadcast television coverage of the games. The 446-foot-tower represents an athlete holding the Olympic Flame, and also functions as a giant sundial on the Europa Square.

Georgia Tech Aquatic Center, Atlanta, Georgia (1996)

(images via: wikimedia commons)

Atlanta didn’t exactly wow architecture pros and fans when it hosted the 1996 Olympic Games, and the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center is not a marvel in and of itself. What makes it interesting is actually what the university chose to do with it when the games were over. The structure was enclosed and above the Olympic pool, an upper floor was suspended from the roof for multi-purpose courts, setting a record for the world’s largest suspended concrete structure. The roof of the building is covered in Georgia Tech-designed solar panels that supplement the GT power grid and heat the pool water. Oh yeah, and the building now features a 184-foot water slide.

ANZ Stadium, Sydney, Australia (2000)

(images via: wikimedia commons)

The largest Olympic stadium ever built – and the largest stadium in Australia – ANZ Stadium was constructed to host the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney. Like most Olympic stadiums, it has since been modified for a lower maximum capacity to make it more appropriate for the events it now holds, which include rugby, football and cricket.

Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece (2004)

(images via: wikimedia commons)

With a roof designed by Santiago Calatrava, Athens’ Olympic Stadium is definitely among the more eye-catching Olympic stadiums. It was originally completed in 1982 to host the European Championships in Athletics, but was extensively renovated for the 2004 Summer Olympics, including the addition of the roof.

Beijing National Stadium, Beijing, China (2008)

(image via: wikimedia commons)

Instantly iconic, the Beijing National Stadium is popularly known as the Bird’s Nest for its unusual design, conceived by Herzog & de Meuron as a tribute to Chinese ceramics. It held 91,000 seats during its use for the 2008 Olympic Games, now cut down to 80,000. Like many Olympic stadiums, it mostly sits empty, hosting sports events every now and then. Recently, it held a snow theme park. However, disuse and resultant lack of upkeep is already taking its toll: the paint on the exterior is reportedly peeling.

London Aquatics Center by Zaha Hadid (2012)

(images via: dezeen)

Among the new construction in London for the Summer 2012 Olympic Games is the undeniably striking Aquatics Center, designed by Zaha Hadid. Arguably the most impressive of London’s Olympic structures, the sweeping, elegant design features an undulating wave-like roof and six curved diving platforms as well as petal-shaped openings that let in natural daylight.

Want some artificial color with your synthetic stadium turf? Be careful what you wish for: Turf the color of surf is now a reality at many U.S. schools and the possibilities are mind-boggling… or at least, eye-boggling. These 10 colorful football fields and turf tint concepts prove conclusively the grass isn’t always greener on the other side; sometimes it isn’t even green!

Bronco Stadium, Boise, ID… BLUE

(images via: Ballparks.com, LIFE and Idaho Realestate)

The famous “Smurf Turf” at Boise State University’s Bronco Stadium is much more than an experiment: since its debut in 1986 the rich blue stadium turf has been replaced twice, most recently in 2002. Not only is the playing field turf a rich shade of summer sky blue, it’s highlighted by contrasting orange turf in the end zones and orange trim on the white field numbers. Sacre bleu!

(image via: Urbaneola)

Blue sky above, blue turf below, and blue-uniformed players trying not to blow the game – just another day at Bronco Stadium. The once-unique blue turf has sparked a number of rumors over the past quarter century, including a story that migrating ducks were diving into the turf after mistaking the blue expanse for the surface of a pond.

Cougar Stadium, New Braunfels, TX… RED

(images via: KGNB and My SA)

Timbuk 3 once sang, “The future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades.” Little did they know the future referred to the scarlet hue of the new turf at Canyon High School’s Cougar Stadium. Said to be the first and only high school in the country with a red turf field, the combination football/soccer surface features white hash marks, black end zones and the Canyon High School “CC” logo in black, white and red right on the fifty yard line.

(image via: KGNB)

Teams playing in New Braunfels at Cougar Stadium for the first time can be forgiven for feeling a mite disoriented when they step onto a field where every zone is a red zone. The odd “Martian grass” didn’t seem to be a problem for teams breaking in the new turf during the 3-day Comal Cup soccer tournament, however. One question: if the ref throws a red card, will anyone besides him know?

UTSA Alamodome, San Antonio, TX… ORANGE

(images via: Mke Casella, My SA and VandyMania)

Persistent rumors making the rounds in the blogosphere insist a lurid change is in the works for the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, where the UTSA Roadrunners play. UTSA promotions ace Jim Goodman seems to be enjoying the free publicity discussions of a turf tint tinkering, saying only “We can neither confirm nor deny that we would have an orange field.” Seems like he’s doing both in the same sentence. While orange turf is perfectly legal under current NCAA rules, adding blue lines and numbers as another photoshop rendering suggested is definitely not – for which we should all be thankful.

West Hills High Field, Santee, CA… TWO-TONE BLUE

(images via: East County Sports and League Lineup)

West Hills High School in Santee, near San Diego, didn’t think laying down blue turf for their new sports stadium was unique enough, it seems. Deciding to alternate light and dark shades of blue solved that issue. Indeed, the West Hills Wolf Pack now plays on the nation’s only non-green, two-tone turf field. Howl about that?

(image via: League Lineup)

“Here at West Hills, we like to be the leader of the pack,” says West Hills High Principal Patrick Keeley, “so why not do a two-tone blue so everyone will know it’s the West Hills field?”

(image via: Sign On San Diego)

Coach Ron Boehmke of the rival Steele Canyon Cougars doesn’t share Keeley’s blue mood, however. “It’s blue,” sneered Boehmke. “It is blue. I’m just glad we don’t have to practice on it every day. Bad enough we have to come over here and play on it. If I had to practice on it, it would drive me bonkers. I just figured West Hills didn’t have a pool, so they killed two birds with one stone.” Haters gonna hate… and Boehmke’s Cougars spoiled West Hills’ 2009 home opener by dumping – or maybe a better word is dunking – the Wolf Pack by a score of 48 to 28.

Bill Pate Stadium, Hidalgo, TX… DARK BLUE

(images via: Texas Football Stadiums and Be Recruited)

Bill Pate Stadium, home of the Hidalgo High School Pirates of Hidalgo, Texas, opened in 1981 but a recent renovation employing blue artificial turf has put the school at the forefront of sports field design. Unlike other blue turf fields, Hidalgo’s is of a darker, more subtle shade that is complemented by white and pale gold trim.

(image via: RGV Futbol)

It may not be Kentucky Bluegrass but Hidalgo’s blue turf at least tries not to draw too much attention to itself. This more naturalistic turf hue shows rare restraint in stadium design while undoubtedly soothing the eyes of players and spectators alike.

LSU Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA… PURPLE

(images via: Bakati.com and LSU Sports.net)

Purple turf? In MY Tiger Stadium? You must be joking… and that’s exactly what LSUsports.net. “The Official Website for LSU Athletics”, had in mind on April 1st, 2010 – note that date. The alluringly lurid faux-photo of Tiger Stadium’s field cloaked in majestic purple with gold trim looks eminently doable, even more so after a few beers. Anyone not in on the fun merely had to refer to the copy, which stated that “The turf will be installed by Turfus and Sons, a subsidiary of Vandalay Industries, which is the largest producer of the rubber material found underneath dangerous playground equipment. ‘Partnering with LSU just makes sense,’ said Art Vandalay, President and CEO of Vandalay Industries.” Hmm, I always thought he was a latex importer/exporter.

(image via: Championship Subdivision)

The concept for a purple turf field shown above is being promoted by Purple Turf for JMU, a Facebook group with (at press time) over 2,600 members. Their goal: to convince the administrators of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA, to lay down royal purple turf at the school’s new stadium. Seems more than appropriate for a team called the Dukes, amiright?

Ralph F. DellaCamera Jr. Stadium, New Haven, CT… BLUE

(images via: Tom McMahon, Charger Bulletin and Northeast-10)

In September of 2008, the University of New Haven put the finishing touches on the new, blue turf field at Ralph F. DellaCamera Jr. Stadium. The refurbishment was in preparation for the return of the UNH football program and coinciding membership in the NCAA’s Northeast-10 Conference. The UNH Chargers now play on a medium blue turf field with un-trimmed white numerals and lines.

(image via: New Haven Chargers)

UNH’s athletic department isn’t shy about the reasons behind their opting for blue turf. “Absolutely, we’re making a statement,” says Debbie Chin, athletic director at UNH. “We’re bringing football back and we’re doing it the right way.” Not according to Boise State students and alumni, who have predictably formed a Facebook group called BSU students against UNH’s blue field! C’mon BSU, don’t you know even Chargers get the blues?

Roos Field, Cheney, WA… RED

(images via: Leader-Post, SB*Nation, EWU and Monke Business)

Perhaps the most publicized of the new crop of colorful football fields is Roos Field at Eastern Washington University. The intense red “lava” turf was inspired by BSU’s blue-turfed Bronco Stadium and some say the choice of color is a thinly veiled grab at the spotlight. Defenders of the crimson carpet, on the other hand, merely state that the turf and its black end zones match EWU’s school colors.

(image via: Deacon Sports)

This isn’t always a good thing – one wonders if trying to pick out a red-clad receiver sprinting downfield on the red turf causes EWU quarterbacks visual difficulties. As well, some commenters have speculated on whether several years of sunlight and UV rays will cause the intense red turf to fade to pretty pale pink.

Lovington Field, Lovington, NM… BLUE

(images via: FSHS and Monster Preps)

In Lovington, New Mexico, players and fans are lovin’ the high school’s cool blue football field. The hometown Wildcats play at a 6,000 seat stadium that’s almost always packed to capacity for Friday night games – this, in a town with a population of just 9,600.

(images via: Pettigrew and USA Today)

Lovington boasts a notable alumnus in Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher, who played for the Lovington Wildcats from 1993 through 1995. Urlacher’s number 11 has been retired by the Wildcats and he has made a number of generous donations to the school’s athletic program over the years.

Cathy Parker Field, Barrow, AK… BLUE

(images via: ESPN-GO)

Think you’re tough? Try playing football on a disused gravel pit field – 340 miles above the arctic circle. That’s what faced athletes at Barrow High School and their opponents from other Alaskan towns like Valdez and Sitka, who have to be flown in to Barrow’s home games on the frosty North Slope. This didn’t sit well with Cathy Parker, a bank account executive and football mom from Jacksonville, Florida, who organized a successful fundraising drive that raised a half-million dollars for a new football field. Exclaimed Parker, upon visiting the new field, “lt looks like God stamped the top of the world with a hundred yards of the most beautiful blue and gold you’ve ever seen.”

(images via: The Wiz of Odds, First Coast News and Adrianana)

Things are somewhat more civilized now for the Barrow High Whalers now that they have beautiful blue Cathy Parker Field to play on, never mind that a hooked punt could easily land in the Arctic Ocean just a few dozen yards past the sidelines. The field, resplendent in deep sea blue with bright gold trim, complements the uniforms of the Barrow High Whalers. Why blue? Why not? A green football field at 71 degrees 18 minutes north latitude would look even more out of place.

(image via: Systems Ecology Lab)

Here’s Cathy Parker Field as seen from a passing airplane; or perhaps a roving Russian Bear bomber. Summers in Barrow can be downright temperate and as for field lighting, who needs it when the sun doesn’t set for weeks on end?

“They’ve gone to plaid!”

(image via: Any Given Saturday)

Are there any limits to what color an artificial turf playing field can be? Only those imposed by governing bodies like the NCAA and the NFL. Since the turf is artificial, it can be made to order in any color – or combination of colors – the customer desires, even if the results look, er, ludicrous.

They host some of the world’s most exciting events and are often among the most massive structures in any given city – so why are stadiums themselves usually bland and boring? These 13 stadium designs shake things up with unexpected architectural details, surprising shapes and breathtaking surroundings from cliffs overlooking the city to helipads hovering hundreds of feet above the ground.

Munich Olympic Park

(images via: wikimedia commons)

From above, it looks alien, a massive metallic shell-like structure gleaming in the sunlight. The stadium at Germany’s Munich Olympic Park is made from stainless steel and acrylic and is the only stadium in the world to have hosted the Olympics, the World Cup Final and the European soccer championships final.

Osaka Stadium, Japan

(image via: mellowmonk + fudoki)

Sure, there are some baseball fans that are so obsessed with the sport that living in a stadium would be a dream come true. But what about an entire neighborhood? Built in 1950 for Japan’s Nankai Hawks baseball team, Osaka Stadium was an entirely ordinary sports venue for nearly forty years – until the team moved to a new stadium. The abandoned Osaka Stadium was used to hold model housing for several years before it was demolished in 1998.

The Float at Marina Bay, Singapore

(images via: wikipedia)

The world’s largest floating stage can hold the weight of 9,000 people, 200 tons of stage props and three 300-ton military vehicles. And that’s just the platform itself; the adjacent stands hold 30,000 spectators. ‘The Float at Marina Bay’ is on the waters of the Marina Reservoir in Singapore and is used not just for sports but also concerts, exhibitions, art performances and the National Day Parade.

Cocodrilos Sports Park, Venezuela

(images via: soccerway.com)

At the Cocodrilos Sports Park in Caracas, Venezuela, you could be forgiven for getting distracted from the soccer match by the eye-catching architecture of the stadium itself. Situated next to a mountainside, the stadium is walled in with concrete plates that give it a highly unusual look.

Braga, Portugal

(image via: sport.co.uk)

Even more beautiful is Portugal’s Braga stadium, carved into a granite quarry overlooking the city of Braga. At one end of the stadium is the dramatic rocky wall of the quarry and at the other end is an open vista of the city below. Braga is one of Europe’s most expensive stadiums, its price tag of €83.1 million coming mostly from the costly rock-moving process required to build it.

Volcano-Like Stadum: Estadio Chivas, Mexico

(image via: inhabitat)

Like a ring of smoke from an erupting volcano, the white membrane of the Estadio Chivas stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico rises from a sloped opening in the ground. That’s no mistake – architects Jean Marie Massaud and Daniel Pouzet looked to the surrounding landscape for inspiration. Parking is hidden under the hill and when it’s not in use, the stadium itself is used as public recreation space.

Gospin Dolac, Croatia

(images via: wikimedia commons)

When it comes to sports stadiums, does it get any more picturesque than this? Gospic Dolac is home to the NK Imotski football club in Croatia and the 4,000 spectators that its bleachers hold get stunning views of nearby medieval ruins, the hillside and the Blue Lake.

Janguito Malucelli, Brazil

(images via: jmalucellifutebol.com.br)

At Brazil’s first eco-friendly stadium, you won’t be sitting on hard metal bleachers, but rather seats embedded in the grassy hillside. All of the wood used in the stadium was reclaimed to prevent deforestation, and not a drop of concrete was used in the stadium’s construction.

Beijing National Stadium, China

(images via: wikipedia)

It was the iconic image of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing – a stunning design that originated from the study of Chinese ceramics, and one that was unlike any other stadium in the world. The Beijing National Stadium, or Bird’s Nest as it’s commonly known, has a distinctive asymmetrical design made with crisscrossed steel beams.

Sapporo Dome, Japan

(images via: wikipedia)

Sapporo, Japan gets so much snow every year that engineers faced a dilemma in designing a stadium for the city: how could they ensure that the grass playing field would get enough sunlight without using a retractable roof, which may not hold up to 20 feet of frozen precipitation? Their solution was 8,300-ton field that slides in and out of the flying saucer-like stadium, allowing it access to fresh air and sunlight on nice days. This moving field also enables the stadium to switch between baseball and soccer.

Solar Stadium, Taiwan

(image via: inhabitat)

Like the scales of a reptile, 8,844 solar panels cover the new stadium in Taiwan. It’s a fitting facade for a dragon-shaped arena, which generates 100% of its own power and is located on a tract of undeveloped land that is also home to public green spaces and an ecological pond.

Sochi Olympic Stadium, Russia

(images via: dvice)

If all goes according to plan (and the economy doesn’t take yet another architectural victim), Russia will get an incredible new stadium for the 2014 Olympics. Sochi Olympic Stadium will feature a translucent, all-glass exterior inspired by both its coastal location and mountainous backdrop. Construction has not yet begun, but the stadium is due to be completed in 2012.

Burj Al Arab Hotel Helipad, Dubai

(image via: greenroofs.com)

When photos of a sky-high tennis match appeared online, many people assumed they were a hoax. It does look too bizarre to be true – not to mention unsafe – but the photos in question are in fact real. The Burj Al Arab skyscraper in Dubai converted its helipad to a tennis court and held a match between Roger Federer and Andre Agassi in preparation for the 2005 Dubai Championships.