The Central Council of Modern Monuments decided against the installation of the Olympic Rings on the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, arguing that the application submitted by the Hellenic Olympic Committee was incomplete.
According to the unanimous decision, the Council argued that the Olympic Committee did not make an adequate case regarding the suitability of installing the Olympic Rings on the Stadium, nor did it adequately explore the prospects and plans for a permanent installation of the circles.
“I view the Panathenaic stadium as a memorial, where Olympic Games take place, but which is not Olympic facility. By the same logic, we should put Olympic Rings in ancient Olympia” commented the professor of Architecture at the NTUA, Vasilios Ganiatsas. Many more have argued that while they are not against the installation of the Olympic Rings per se, they note that the application and accompanying study were inadequate.
The Hellenic Olympic Committee member Petros Synadinos supported the application by arguing about the symbolism and that the International Olympic Committee has already given its permission. The last time Olympic Rings were installed on the stadium was in 2004, when the Olympic Games took place in Athens. They were removed in 2011, when the Special Olympics were hosted in Athens, due to structural concerns.
