Gli Stadi della Italia - Parte 1 (Stadiums of Italy - part 1)

Here are four stadi I have had a chance to see so far in Italia. I have written a small passage for each giving some visual analysis of what I have observed and some other site analysis. Of course with each entry I will have analytical drawings and sketches that I will include later this week (there is only one scanner I have access to and it is only available for four hours for four days a week and is very popular). Since this is my first entry a lot of feedback and possible further direction would be nice…if possible. Thanks Lohren!

Il Coliseo –

The Roman Coliseum, located in Roma, Italia is nestled into a small and subtle valley between the Roman Forum and the new city of Roma. One of the most major contributions of the Romans, the arch, is apparent everywhere in the Coliseum. Every layer of its structure and levels are arches upon arches turned into vaults and cross vaults, creating a network that provided immense stability for the numerous inhabitants during games. Visually from the exterior, the arches form the façade which terminates abruptly at the top in a linear fashion, matching contextual buildings (besides its large scale). From the second image, it is apparent that despite its large stature, the Coliseum was contextual. If the Coliseum was a few stories less in height, the stadio would not stand out at all from the other constructions.

Inside the Coliseum, the most important aspect (the game) is the obvious focal point. Before the Coliseum became ruins, its height was the same around all sides creating no visual interest at any point inside the stadio besides the field and the seat of the emperor. This conscious effort to focus all eyes on the games would probably make for a more involved crowd, which was definitely the case. From the last image, it is noticeable that the structure creates visual lines towards the center of the Coliseum.

As for access and egress, the stadio uses multiple staircases moving in and out (never around so as not to disrupt the arched structure) at multiple locations for maximum movement of people. There is no main entrance; there is no special attention to any particular façade. The Coliseum was designed to fit within a city context and be accessible from all points like most other Roman constructions.

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Piazza della Vittoria, Il Monumento al Caduti e Il Campo Sportivo Vecchio ( Old Macerata Stadio) –

The Piazza della Vittoria (Victory Plaza) was the main entrance to the old stadio in Macerata. Locally streets and buildings weave around the field in an effort to respect context because of its central location in the city of Macerata. From the second image, it is apparent that neighboring stores and homes are within yards of the stadio, and the monumental steps of Il Monumento al Caduti show the significance of the sport and the stadio to the city. On all sides of the stadio, homes, stores and buildings interact with the field. Inside, the stadio is home to a soccer field and a running track. For a relatively small city like Macerata, space for only one stadio was possible, so to utilize that space, multiple sports were played within the singular stadio of the city. It is also clear from the inside, that the context and surrounding buildings of Macerata is visible, reminding inhabitants of the location.

For Macerata, a larger, canopied seating area is made for the home team in contrast to an uncovered section on the opposite side for an away team. This significance is to promote strength and power against rivals.

Il Monumento al Caduti in Piazza della Vittoria is a series of five statues amongst brick columns (Macerata is called the city of bricks, and almost every church and local palace uses carefully cut bricks to form beautiful columns). At each end of the monument are original gates for entry into the stadio. Above each gate are the words Al Caduti…A la Vittoria (to Caduti to the Victory). For people entering into the Piazza, and especially rival visitors, the strength of Macerata’s sports is represented through five statues of players striking athletic and muscular poses of ancient warriors. Locally, the monument is affectionately named the Jackson 5. Today, the stadio is used for practice and local school teams.

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Stadio Helvia Recina (New Macerata Stadio) –

Macerata’s new stadio was placed further from the city center in an effort to accommodate more fans and more importantly parking for people. Like most contemporary stadi, this stadium is surrounded by parking, and from the nearest street (first image) you can only get a glimpse of the stadium and its tall lights. The main entrance takes people to the visiting stands where a small curving set of stands embraces one sideline. Home fans walk around the stadio upon entering to get to the more linear covered stands (a reference back to the old stadium to show strength and superiority). The view of the exterior from the main entrance is not indicative of a large park or stadio. The highpoint of the stands is less than twenty feet from the exterior ground and storefront type walls house concessions and other facilities. The design of the stadium did not consider context, only history, and more than likely was designed much larger than the original stadium as means to show the city’s growth and strength in sports.

Again, this new stadium houses both a sports field and a running track; the large setting provides for a less intimate fan experience. At the edge of the track, a protective fence is provided for the players to prevent fanatic people from completely disrupting play (Old Macerata Stadio also has this feature). Locals place signs on these fences as means of support along with constant vocal songs to cheer on their team.

The new stadio also has a small seating section for home fans opposite the main stands next to the visitor’s section. This small seating area is on a hill and is cheap in cost for the fans who plan on singing and being the most supportive. The equivalent for most universities in America would be a student cheer section. People of Macerata do love their calcio (even though the city’s main strength in sports is volleyball) and cheer proudly during games, and constantly are seen around the city with local colors and scarfs displaying their pride.

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Stadio Comunale della Civitanova –

Civttanova is a small, fish market town with numerous amounts of tourists because of its great shoe markets. Its history of calcio is minimal and because of it, the city stadium is on the outskirts of the main town. Its location is against the shores of the Adriatic, local apartments and first floor shops. Its large land use resembles the city’s laidback and tropical atmosphere where palm trees are plentiful. The main entrance is marked by a two story façade on the southwest side that is contextual because of its first floor storefront appearance and second floor balcony or mezzanine (indicative of second and third floor balconies for nearby apartments and homes). The roof is a subtle butterfly structure, resembling the waves of the sea. Because of the stadio’s external location in relationship to the city, graffiti consumes most of the façade. On all sides, a brick wall does not permit pedestrians without tickets from viewing into the stadio, but provides a beautiful canvas for casual and unwanted, spray painted messages.

Like many other stadi in Italia, the main stands are for the home team and are covered where the other stands on the opposite side are not. This stadio houses both field sports and a running track to save on precious land space and maximize usage of the stadio. Entrance to each set of stands is only at the ends and at the middle, providing very little means for proper egress and providing a lot of distraction for those patrons who sit closest to the exists (because so many people walk past their line of vision during games)

Socially, the stadio is underutilized and is to far away from most daily exchange of business to be integrated properly.