All eyes for the past two weeks have been on London as the city showcases an already epic 30th Olympiad. All the magnificent structures are worth the marveling, since cities competing to host the Olympics must erect these buildings in advance just to be considered a candidate! If the profits pour in, the investment is worth it. London is already cashing in and is expected to break even with a welcomed surplus of 4 billion pounds!

The above structure holds all Olympic marksmen events. Want to know what it looks like inside? Take a closer look at the amazing pieces of architecture housing all the prowess, inspiration and history in the making of the Olympics.

In the long history of the Olympics, the competition between cities to win hosting duties to the biggest stage in sports is actually a recent phenomenon. Only since the 1984 games in Los Angeles when the city produced a giant profit did cities start vying for the event’s attention. Now the Olympic host cities use the chance to demonstrate their economic power and prove they have the monetary strengths to invest so richly in the event.

Some cities end up unable to turn a profit due to poor financial planning and geographical problems. Some cities recycle and transform their old arenas into Olympic structures. Most cities use the structures after the Olympics for other means. The 1996 Atlanta track stadium is now the home of their baseball team, the Atlanta Braves. The Budokan building that hosted the martial arts event in the 1964 Tokyo games became a legendary music venue with featured acts such as The Beatles and Bob Dylan.

Find out more information about the states of old Olympics stadiums, good and bad, here at Mental Floss.

What is your favorite piece of architecture at the London games? Do you remember any striking structures from past Olympiads?

[via Design Boom and Mental Floss]