A National Treasure of the National Trust, South Florida’s Miami Marine Stadium is truly one-of-a-kind. A young Hilario Candela made his debut as an architect in 1963 with the stadium, and it is today considered a marvel of modern construction! It’s been named “the city’s Eiffel Tower.” Indeed, being listed on the National Register of Historic Places definitely turned things around for the stadium, helping it to avoid the same fate as many of the stadiums on this list.
The Miami Marine Stadium has also had some high-profile guests, hosting acclaimed speakers and musicians such as Elvis Presley and Sammy Davis Jr.! Whilst it had been hosting events, it was starting to fall apart by the mid-2000s. But with petitioning and campaigning by preservationists, in November 2016 the Miami City Commission approved $45 million dedicated to the restoration of the stadium. Looks like the Miami Marine Stadium will see new life with the project – and the original architect, Hilario Candela, is one of the leads on the architecture team! Now that’s a reunion
Old Yankee Stadium (New York City, USA)
It’s no wonder that the famous Yankee ballpark, which saw Babe Ruth knock a few out of the stadium, was nicknamed “The House That Ruth Built.” Also noted among fans as “The Cathedral of Baseball”, Old Yankee Stadium was built over the course of 1922 and 1923, paid for by Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert. A guy who could just give $2.4 million to building his stadium clearly wasn’t short of a buck! “The Stadium” saw the Yankees take home 26 World Series titles, making it one of the most famous venues in sporting history – did you know it hosted The Greatest Game Ever Played? Yep, it hosted the 1958 NFL Championship Game.
Pretty big deal. If you don’t know about it, please, Google it. Over time however, the stadium was in need of repairs, to a point where it was in fact closed in 1974. A fan favourite, the City of New York, which owns the stadium, decided by the mid 2000s that it was unsuitable for the future, and decided funds were best spent on a new stadium in the Bronx. The new $2.3 billion stadium was opened in 2008, and adopted the old “Yankee Stadium” name! The original stadium, or “Old Yankee Stadium” was demolished in 2010, with the land being converted into a park later on, known as Heritage Field.
Stadion Dziesieciolecia (Poland)
So for those of you who don’t understand Polish, “Stadion Dziesieciolecia” translates to “10th-Anniversary Stadium.” Now, this stadium was borne of competition, after the Association of Polish Architects held a contest for the project of “an Olympic Stadium for the city of Warsaw”. The winning architects saw their design realized just two years later. For decades it was, in fact, the largest stadium in Poland. But despite its 71,000 person capacity and frequent use for festivals and football matches (as well as being the home to the Polish National Soccer Team), by the 80s, the stadium fell into disrepair.
It was left vacant due to a lack of funds to refurbish the stadium. After 1989, which was a turning point, the stadium was used as a bazaar, known as “Jarmark Europa”, which sold a whole range of goods, from clothes to software. But it was clear that this use was hardly distinguished particularly given the stadium’s history! In 2008, the famed stadium was demolished in 2008, making way for the National Stadium, which was a venue for the Euro 2012 football competition.
Chicago Stadium (Chicago, Illinois, USA)
Between 1929 and 1994, “The Madhouse on Madison”, as it was colloquially known by Chicago natives, was one of the most famous indoor arenas in Illinois. The home of the National Hockey League’s Chicago Blackhawks and the National Basketball Association’s Chicago Bulls, the stadium had a capacity of roughly 18,000. If you’re wondering why the “Madhouse” nickname, well, there's a very good reason for that – it was in fact due to the rowdy crowds which would pack into the arena every evening. “The Loudest Arena in the NBA”, in 1971 during the Stanley Cup semi-finals, announcer Dan Kelly reported “I can feel our booth shaking! That’s the kind of place Chicago Stadium is right now!” Yah, that loud.
But sadly, the raucous barn-shaped arena ultimately would be demolished. After the Blackhawks and Bulls moved to the United Center, the stadium had to go, and made way for… a parking lot. At the time, the demolition attracted media attention – CNN even televised its demolition, showing devoted fans crying as the wrecking ball took down their beloved stadium. Ah well, out with the old and in with the new!
Giants Stadium (New York, USA)
Between 1976 and 2010, the Giants Stadium, also known as “The Swamp”, hosted a plethora of sporting events and concerts. The home of the New York Giants and the New York Jets, it held a whopping 80,000+ spectators! 756 feet long and 592 feet wide, it reached up as high as 178 feet! For the Giants, the stadium proved to be a lucky charm of sorts – for the New York Jets, however, it was a different story. It was also home to the New York Cosmos, a professional soccer team, which saw its peak attendance reached in the 70s.
But as of 2009, the Giants Stadium was closed. Why? Well, because the bigger and better MetLife stadium was constructed, just 20 feet away. In 2010, the stadium held its final event, where the Jets took on the Cincinnati Bengals. A month after, demolition began. Since then, both the Giants and Jets moved over to MetLife Stadium, and the former Giants Stadium became a parking lot. It’s kinda sad that such an iconic stadium had to go, but it seems that such is the way of the world.