After the Olympic flag was passed to Los Angeles at last night’s Paris 2024 closing ceremony, we conclude our Olympic Impact series with a look ahead to the venues set to host the next games in 2028.
Although the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles may be four years away, all the main venues are already built.
Over the past decade there has been a gradual reduction in the number of buildings constructed for the Olympics, with Paris only building one major permanent venue – the timber aquatics centre. This trajectory will reach its logical conclusion in Los Angeles with the city not building any permanent venues for the Olympics in 2028.
Instead of new venues, the games will be hosted across the city’s numerous existing sports venues, arenas and conference centres, supplemented with several specialist temporary venues.
LA 1932 venues to be used again
The homes of the city’s biggest sports teams – LA Galaxy, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Kings and LA Clippers, will all be converted into venues, including the recently completed SoFi Stadium and Intuit Dome.
Several venues that hosted the Olympics last time they came to LA in 1932 will also be used, including the Los Angeles Swimming Stadium and Long Beach Marine Stadium, while the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will host its third games.
Other sports will take place in a combination of indoor arenas and temporary outdoor facilities, including a multi-sport venue alongside the Los Angeles River and a temporary whitewater centre in Oklahoma City.
Here are 15 of the most interesting venues for LA 2028:
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum by John and Donald Parkinson
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will become the first stadium to have hosted the Olympics three times when the athletics events take place here in 2028. The century-old stadium previously hosted the games in 1932 and 1984.
Commissioned as a memorial to Los Angeles veterans of world war one, the art moderne stadium opened in 1923. The stadium’s most notable feature is its distinctive peristyle plaza, with seven arched openings on either side of the central arched entrance.
The stadium was extended ahead of the 1932 Olympics, when the now-signature Olympic torch was added above the central entrance.
Hosting: athletics
LA84 Foundation/John C Argue Swim Stadium
Set alongside the Memorial Coliseum, the LA84 Foundation/John C Argue Swim Stadium was built to host the swimming events for the 1932 Summer Olympics. At the 2028 games the stadium will host the diving events, with swimming taking place in the SoFi Stadium.
The stadium’s original main stand was converted into a glassed-walled recreational facility in 2003, with renderings showing a large temporary stand erected on two sides of the outdoor pool for spectators in 2028.
Hosting: diving
Galen Center by HNTB
Located near the Memorial Coliseum, the 10,000-capacity Galen Center will host the badminton events during the Olympics.
Designed as a home for the University of Southern California basketball and volleyball teams, the arena was designed by engineering firm HNTB, which aimed to create a landmark alongside the nearby highway.
Opened in 2006, the building has a brick and concrete facade to be in keeping with the university’s campus, with six two-storey windows that have views of the downtown Los Angeles skyline.
Hosting: badminton
Los Angeles Convention Center by Charles Luckman and Pei Cobb Freed & Partners
Designed by American architect Charles Luckman, the Los Angeles Convention Center is another building that has an Olympic history as it was used as the press centre for the 1984 games.
Opened in 1971, it has subsequently been extended several times, including in 1993 when Pei Cobb Freed & Partners added the white steel and green glass canopy at the front of the building.
Part of the convention centre was demolished in 1997 for the creation of an arena, which will also be hosting events at the games.
Hosting: fencing, taekwondo, table tennis, judo, wrestling
Crypto.com Arena by NBBJ
Set alongside the Los Angeles Convention Center as one of a cluster of venues in Downtown Los Angeles, the Crypto.com Arena was designed by architecture studio NBBJ as the home venue for NBA teams Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, as well as the Los Angeles Kings NHL team.
Designed to be a flexible arena, along with ice hockey and basketball, the venue is also regularly used for music events such as the Grammy Awards. During the Olympics it will be used as the gymnastics venue.
Hosting: gymnastics
Peacock Theater by ELS Architecture
The third in the trio of downtown venues, the 7,100-capacity Peacock Theater was designed by Californian studio ELS Architecture and Urban Design and opened in 2007.
During the 2028 games the theatre will host the weightlifting events.
Hosting: weightlifting
SoFi Stadium by HKS
The recently complete SoFi stadium (pictured above and top), which is home to American football teams the Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams, will become the largest swimming venue in Olympic history when it hosts the 2028 games.
During the games a temporary swimming pool will be installed in the stadium, with its usual 70,000-spectator capacity reduced to 38,000.
Hosting: swimming
Intuit Dome by AECOM
Opening this week, the Intuit Dome is the newest of all the permanent 2028 Olympic venues. Designed by architecture and engineering firm AECOM as the home of Los Angeles Clippers NBA team, the stadium is located in Inglewood alongside the SoFi stadium.
The arena is covered in a frame informed by a basketball “passing through a net”, which is covered in diamond-shaped panels.
Hosting: basketball
Long Beach Arena by Kenneth Wing
Another former Olympic venue, the Long Beach Arena hosted the volleyball tournaments during the 1984 Summer Olympic Games. At the next Olympics it will be the venue for handball.
Designed by architect Kenneth Wing, the drum-shaped venue opened in 1962 alongside the 1930s Municipal Auditorium. The venue was given its distinctive appearance in the early 1990s when American artist Wyland wrapped the building in his Whaling Wall mural.
Hosting: handball
Long Beach Marine Stadium
Located along the coast from the Long Beach Arena, the marina stadium is another venue hosting Olympic events for the second time. The venue was created in 1932 to host the rowing events for the 1932 Summer Olympics and was the first manmade rowing course in the United States.
During the next Olympics the venue will again be used for rowing, as well as the canoe sprint events.
Hosting: rowing, canoe sprint
Honda Center by HOK Sport
Home to the Anaheim Ducks hockey team, the Honda Center opened in 1993. The 18,000-seat arena was designed by HOK Sport, now Populous, as an ice hockey and basketball venue.
During the games it will be used for the volleyball competitions.
Hosting: volleyball
Dignity Health Sports Park by Rossetti Architects
Designed by Rossetti Architects, the Dignity Health Sports Park sporting facility in Carson opened in 2003 as the home of the LA Galaxy MLS team, which plays in the 27,000-seat main stadium.
Alongside the stadium, which will host rugby and modern pentathlon events, the facility contains the largest indoor velodrome in the US and an 8,000-seat tennis stadium. A temporary stadium built on LA Galaxy’s training grounds alongside the stadium will host the field hockey events.
Hosting: rugby, modern pentathlon, cycling, tennis, field hockey
Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area
Along with all the existing sports arenas that are set to host games, a series of temporary stadiums are planned for the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area alongside the Los Angeles River in the San Fernando Valley.
A series of temporary stands will be built alongside venues for archery, BMX and skateboarding within the park.
Hosting: archery, BMX, skateboarding
McClendon Whitewater Center by Rand Elliott Architects
One of two venues in Oklahoma City to host events, the McClendon Whitewater Center will host the games’ canoe slalom tournament.
Designed by Rand Elliott Architects, the facility will feature a series of riverside, angular pavilions alongside the Oklahoma River.
Hosting: canoe slalom
Devon Park
Opened in 1987 and renovated several times since, Devon Park is a 13,000-capacity softball-specific stadium that stands alongside the Softball Hall of Fame museum in Oklahoma City.
Hosting: softball
Olympic Impact
This article is part of Dezeen’s Olympic Impact series examining the sustainability measures taken by the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games and exploring whether major sporting events compatible with the climate challenge are possible.
