Design of Contemporary Mega-Events

Contemporary mega-events are a design and political phenomenon, encompassing all scales of design practice and serving as an exemplar of a global imaginary realised in local space. They combine placemaking with national and city branding, manifested through extravagant buildings, facilities, transport infrastructure, logos, uniforms and slogans – all of which present design challenges given their high profile and cost. This chapter considers the contemporary mega-event, specifically Olympics and EXPOs, from their historical evolution (World Fairs, Biennales) to the expansive and controversial events that punctuate the international calendar and tourist itinerary. The design of mega-events is reflected through the iconic buildings and components that make up the visual feast that these events seek to engender – from costumes, mascots and signs, to the masterplans and computer-generated visions that are employed to project the mega-event and site into the future