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3. WORST: THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE 2014
WINTER OLYMPICS
So, how did all these ridiculously expensive skating palaces
and ice domes turn out? We ranked the Sochi architecture
from best to worst (spoiler alert: Vladimir Putin’s chest is tied
for number one).
4. BEST: A REBRANDED OLYMPIC MUSEUM
More impressive than most of Sochi’s gaudy monoliths
was Base Design’s rebranding of the Olympic Museum in
Switzerland, a sleek graphic identity, which we awarded with
an imaginary gold medal.
5. BEST?: BEHIND THE MINIMAL LOOK OF
THE 2014 OLYMPICS LOGO
With all the money they spent, you’d think the Olympic Committee
could have designed a flashier Sochi logo. But there’s actually
a compelling story behind the 2014 logo’s minimal, futuristic
look. The first Olympic logo made with the digital world in
mind, it beat out an original proposal for a more traditional,
ornate design. Check out the history of Olympic logos (many
of them much worse than Sochi’s) here.
6. WORST: UNDER ARMOUR’S MACH 39
SPEEDSKATING SUIT
Sochi’s biggest uniform fiasco came when the American
speedskating team ditched Under Armour’s fancy Mach 39
speedskating suit. Team members claimed it slowed them down,
and switched back to their old suits. Embarrassing for Under
Armour, but not as embarrassing as one poor bobsledder’s
pants split.
7. WORST: THE SOCHI POSTER (AND MORE
OLYMPIC POSTERS, FROM THE GOOD TO
THE BAD TO THE UGLY)
A tour through Olympic posters from 1906 to today is a lesson
in the evolution of graphic design. Posters throughout the last
century channeled Art Deco, minimalism, the hippie aesthetic,
and Keith Haring’s graffiti art, all toward the same end of
capturing the spirit of the games through design. Sochi’s poster,
a vivid diamond pattern, doesn’t capture much of anything.