Frei Otto contributed to the design of the roof for the 1972 Summer Olympics park in Munich, Germany. It is perhaps one of his most well-known works. The lightweight tensile structure is a feature commonly found in Otto’s work (this makes sense given that Otto founded the Institute for Lightweight Structures at the University of Stuttgart in 1964). Although it was put up for the 1972 Olympics, the structure remains to this day, serving as a venue for cultural, social, and even religious events.

When Germany was preparing for the 1972 Olympics, the design of Olympiapark was of great importance. Germany was focused on painting an optimistic picture of the future which positively embraced democracy and technology, among other things. By doing so, Germany was trying to move on from its dark past under the rule of Hitler, who was Germany’s leader during the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. Frei Otto viewed his natural, flowing, lightweight designs to be in stark contrast of the stadium design that was implemented by the strict, fascist regime of the past.