X-DOME-COMPLEX

Design And Construction Studio - 2020 Ice Hockey Arena

Tutors: Andrea Tartaglia - Giovanni Muciaccia

Academic Project - Collaborative

Santa Giulia, Milan, Italy

Milano Santa Giulia is located between the districts of Rogoredo and Taliedo, an area that was known for its industrial character since the late 19th Century. The new PalaItalia in the Santa Giulia area of Milan will be the main ice hockey arena for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

The design underlying principle is to deny the monumentality and centrality of the sports complex, Therefore, a large suspended roof is considered to embrace the arena. This is mainly creating a strong connection between the arena and the surrounding.

The Complex is comprised of two articulated parts, one is the canopy supported by freestanding columns and the other is the arena that is structurally autonomous and offers a capacity for 10000 spectators. Due to the flux of people during the Olympic period, functions as restaurants, cafeteria, and shops are considered in a close proximity to the arena while at the intersection of the complex the information box is located to distribute and guide the spectators. The arena can be approached by all sides and all the covered space is creating a so-called buffer zone for the spectators to bide their time before the competitions.

The future of the arena is always a big question for developers and government, especially a big arena such as Olympic games, as a result, they are seeking for a flexible building that can be used for different functions after the Olympic Games. we consider this in our design in two ways, firstly we separated other functions like restaurants, shops, gym from the main arena. So, the complex doesn’t need to work with the arena and the other buildings can work independently. Secondly, we made an arena flexible with different configurations for 5 kinds of sports or even entertainment activities such as concert.