This old house

While watching the track world championships from Berlin these last few days, I couldn’t help but notice how good the Berlin Olympic Stadium looks. It was built for the 1936 Olympics, only four years after our own L.A. Coliseum hosted in 1932. However, unlike here, the Germans did what was necessary, raised the money, got a plan, and made the Berlin Olympic Stadium a thoroughly modern and multi-functional venue while preserving its classic architecture and history.

It just so happens that Berlin is a sister city of Los Angeles. Perhaps the dysfunctional triumvirate of city, county and state representatives that oversees our Coliseum could agree to make a call to their sister stadium, and get a clue as to how to make our civic jewel a rival for international prestige like the Berlin Olympic Stadium. Right now, the L.A. Coliseum has a future that more closely matches its namesake in Rome. That Colosseum is the wrong one to emulate.

Terrence Hartwell

Toluca Lake