ABSTRACT
Originally Rome was awarded the 1908 Summer Games, but a massive eruption of Mount Vesuvius meant the essential Olympic funding had to be diverted to reconstruct the devastated city of Naples. London was swiftly chosen as the only viable alternative, and once again the Games were linked to a major world fair, the Franco-British Exhibition, to be held to the west of London. This time, however, the IOC was in full control.
The Exhibition organizers were persuaded to fund a suitable stadium at their own expense, in return for a share of the gate receipts. Speed of construction was the top priority. Structural engineer John James Webster and architect James Black Fulton came up with a modular steel-framed structure enclosing a “three laps to the mile” running track flanked by a cycle track. The design featured an open-air “swimming tank” actually within the stadium, for the first and only time.
What became known as the White City Stadium was the first modern Olympic venue and heavily influenced later stadia. It went on to host many sporting events, including greyhound racing, motorcycle speedway and championship boxing.
