Master Research Project by Ezra Rossi

Redefining the Icon

Integrating Culture and Community into the Stadium

By EZRA ROSSI

Supervisory Committee: LISA HUANG, chair PETER SPROWLS, member

A PROJECT IN LIEU OF THESIS PRESENTED TO THE COLLEGE OF DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND PLANNING OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2022

Sai, la tua diffida il mio cuore non fermerà Perché noi del Milan siam gli ultras Se, tutta la vita io al tuo fianco resterò Per il Milan sempre canterò Un bandito Per la questura io sono un bandito E l’AC Milan il mio amor proibito Tutta la vita io sarò un bandito Son bandito

Acknowledgment

To my family: I am incredibly grateful to my family, who have always shown unconditional support and love in my life journey, and for them, I move forward. To my friends: I must also thank my friends, who support my endeavors and always make me remember the joy of life. To my mentors: Many thanks to my chair members and professors, who have guided me through this journey, always challenging me and my ideas. To my love: I would like to recognize the immeasurable value of my love, who has been an example of resilience and integrity, and for her, I will always be thankful.

Siamo qui che cantiam con il cuore Diavolo vinci per noi

Table of Contents List of Definitions

Abstract

Introduction

Calcio Religion Calcio and Religion

Methodology

Case Studies What makes community

Problem

Proposal

Site Analysis Design proposal

Conclusion

List of Figures

Bibliography

In Italia Milan! In Europa Milan! Ovunque Milan! Per sempre rossoner!

List of Definitions Football: In this book the word football refferes to what is known in the USA as soccer Azzurri: Italian word for ‘blues’ referring to the nickname for the Italian national team Calcio: Italian word for ‘soccer’ Ultra: Soccer fans who are renowned for their fanatical support Stadio: Italian word for ‘stadium’ Estadio: Spanish word for ‘stadium’ Estádio: Portuguese word for ‘stadium’ Coppa Italia: Knockout cup competition in Italian football Serie A: Professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system Champions League: Annual club football competition organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs Ortomercato: Italian word for ‘vegetable market’

Sosteniamo la squadra più forte Che il mondo ha visto mai Magico milan vinci per noi Magico milan... e magico milan olè Ora che il milan è veramente forte Noi della sud cantiamo insieme così

Abstract The imperious look and centric energy of stadiums are unique. Stadiums focus their energy on the field. All eyes focused on the activity on the field. The grass is meticulously maintained and manicured, the stands lookout the grass field, the retail sections surround the stands, and the gates control access to this domain. It is a system that is used once a week, and its operations are very rarely uninterrupted or changed. Nevertheless, this system works under the circumstances of the event, that is, a match between rival sides whose most desired conviction is to impose their superiority on the adversary. However, when there is no game in the stadium, it becomes a void in the urban fabric. The vast space that a stadium withholds has much more potential than one or two events per week. This research examines football and religion, particularly the dichotomy between the stadium and the cathedral. With the potential of concentrating the energy of a city in a ceremonial space, both the cathedral and the stadium have much more in common than just their monumentality. This comparison allows conceptualizing the principles of the stadium and proposing a stadium design for the Italian club AC Milan that integrates into the urban fabric and utilizes the space of the stadium for activities in daily life. The challenge is to analyze and understand the site’s needs and create a design that serves the necessities of the community and maximizes the experience of those who inhabit it.

Non sara una diffida A fermare il nostro amore per il milan AC Milan tu sei mio Fino a quando io vivro Al tuo fianco io per sempre restero Innamorato sempre di piu in fondo alla anima la curva sud Perche non e una promesa ma e quel sara In ogni stadio Violenza ultra, violenza ultra, violenza ultra

Introduction Calcio Even though sports have reached the pinnacle of social status, it is only the clearest manifestation of the human necessity for interaction and recreation. Group dynamics, behavioral processes, social bonding, and organizational networks are features that are found in any institutionalized setting. However, sports expose them in the purest of ways, making them a microcosm of society. Football is bonded in the lifestyle of many people. Scheduled visits to the stadium, chants, traditional clothes, and unconditional support make football transcend from an entertainment break to a lifestyle. The fan base of football is indisputably large, dedicated, and full of fervent devotion. The decision to pick a team to support is usually taken lightly or even unconsciously, but that decision could dictate many aspects of a fan’s life in the long run. Many factors might influence what team a person decides to support. There are countless reasons that affect a person’s decision: Locale is a major one. The country one is born in has a significant influence on many facets of one’s life. In London, England, it is more specific because each district has its own football team. A person’s neighborhood could determine the team and stadium that becomes the focus of a weekly ritual. London has 13 different professional football teams, 6 of which play in the Premier League (England’s first division). Typically, each city may have at most two football teams. Such an extensive number of teams makes London one of the most influential cities in football. Other cities like Milan, Turin, Munich, and Madrid have also become football landmarks. The clubs in these cities have become dominant clubs that allow them to conquer their local league trophy for several years. Juventus and Bayern won nine consecutive league titles in the last decade, an accomplishment that could not have been made without the contribution of a few elite players that stand out from the rest. Iconic players are a precious asset for a team, not just for the quality they display on the field but also for their mediatic importance. The iconic player stimulates even more devotion and dedication of fans to the team. Lastly, influence is the most common way a person becomes a football fan. Friends and family significantly influence almost every decision we make in life, and football is not the exception.

Figure 01: Olaszmelo, AC Milan fans during a game in 2006

Calcio The highest demonstration of devotion in football is, without a doubt, going to the stadium and showing support from the stands. The stadium belongs to the city. For many fans, it is their second home. For others, it is a sanctuary visited once in a while. However, it still belongs to the city in a literal way. It is an essential part of the urban fabric. The idea of creating a place where there is a highly celebrated ceremony weekly defines the stadium as a sports sanctuary. The event is highly anticipated throughout the week, and as time passes by, energy and euphory increase, making the long-awaited event be celebrated and enjoyed to its full potential. From the Allianz Arena in Germany and the San Siro Stadium in Milan to La Bombonera in Argentina, the beautiful game is played with passion for delighting the eyes of millions. However, only a few get to watch the game at the stadium. Most professional stadiums hold around 30,000 to 90,000 spectators, but they only reach their maximum experiential potential when the field is in use and the stands are packed. Most of the time, stadiums are impenetrable walls that only open up to the public once a week. When the stadium is empty, it becomes a void in the urban fabric. The stadium’s atmosphere can and should transcend from a ceremonial sports ritual to become a contributor to the city.

Figure 02: Viollet-le-Duc, Eugene. Structure of an early six-part gothic rib vault

Religion Religion is human beings’ relation to that which is regarded as holy. This uncovers the human urge of being connected not only to the mundane but to something greater than us, a force that goes beyond our physical and mental grasp but that is fully connected to that which we cannot qualify nor measure, the spirit. Religion expands the idea of the world, its meaning, and the potential of the human mind to give live different meanings. Human awareness of the fragility of live has led us to think about a universal influence that bonds everything together. Our potential to deal simultaneously with the specific and the mutable on one hand, and the ideal and universal on the other, has been described by phenomenology as the most significant characteristic of human perception (Perez-Gomez 38). Artists are constantly seeking to reveal the essence of that which we cannot see and, in some way, get closer to that reality. Architecture is the least figurative but the most concrete of the arts, as building of a reality immediately given to perception and framing human action (Perez-Gomez 40). Abbot Suger was the visionary behind Saint Denis Cathedral and is highly credited for popularizing the gothic style. To Suger, light was a symbol for God, and by bringing in more light into the cathedral he hoped to bring people closer to God. The utilization of light as an actual architectural material emerged. Thin walls of glass seem to support the ceilings of stone. Spiritual believes introduced new ways of construction that challenged gravity at the time. The pointed arch, the flying buttress, and the stained glass are the three gothic innovation that allowed medieval architects to capture heavenly light and to reach celestial heights. These architectural and engineering innovations during the medieval times pushed the design of cathedrals to a higher level. the giant walls of glass, surrounded by spiderwebs of masonry and crowned with gargoyles made the gothic cathedrals to dominate the skylines of cities for hundreds of years. For the moment they appeared in Europe about one thousand years ago, they sparked an intense rivalry between cities. Consuming the labor of entire towns, sometimes taking one hundred years to build. With just hand tools and stone, master

Figure 03: Chenoweth, Richard. Scale comparison of different gothic cathedrals

Religion craftsmen found ways to defy gravity pushing to greater and greater heights. The seeking of greater height had consequences. The highest human construction in the world from 1569 to 1573, the Beauvais Cathedral collapsed twice, in the 13th and 16th century. In the Roman Arch, the stress line runs mostly sideways pushing the columns apart. If the arch is too tall, it will sag in the middle and collapsed. The pointed arches introduced in gothic cathedrals makes the stress line to point mostly downwards, allowing the arch to reach greater heights. Nonetheless, the excessive proportions the Beauvais Cathedral led to structural failure. In 1220, villagers of Amiens, France, decided to build a new cathedral large enough to fit their entire population of 20,000 people. No modern sport stadium could perform the same function (Hudson 1). This is not a unique case as many cities throughout Europe had the initiative to build a gothic cathedral following the steps of the Kings church in Saint Denis, France. Medieval Europe had enormous appetite for churches of all sizes. By the Mid-14th century, France and England probably had one church for every 200 people (Hudson 1). Like many cathedrals, Amiens is built in the shape of a cross, at its center, workers built tall walls with pointed arches to create a vast central bay. Cathedrals are mostly oriented east/ west to allow worshippers to experience the rising sun. The cross shape has spiritual and functional value. The cross could be seen from the sky as a reverence to God and internally it divides spaces for the use of different people. Cathedrals were built to serve two main functions: to house the seat of the bishop in the area he had jurisdiction over, and to allow groups of men to carry pastoral work, however, the intrinsic mystic of cathedrals goes beyond architectural details, or pioneering engineering, and this is best described by Pope Paul’s writings when he was archbishop of Milan, “This is the secret of the cathedral. For the cathedral is neither a mere fascinating architectural monument nor a venerable historical building nor a vast museum of the fine arts. Neither is it a solemn lecture hall or an esoteric music hall reserved for precious ears. For us the cathedral is a living home, a place enriched by god’s presence.”

Figure 04: Dall’Orto, Giovanni. Milan Cathedral’s nave

Religion The great influence that cathedrals have in religion is comparable to the influence they have on the essence of the city they are in. The cathedral prevails as one of the limited elites of architectural substance that has yielded the systems of social, political, and economical ideologies (Saunders 6). Simply defined as the home of God on earth, cathedral’s purpose is not necessarily aligned to the functions that people have given it over the years. From the architecture, sculpting, and engineering to music and communal gatherings, cathedrals have transcended the purpose they primarily had to the city. Kenneth Hudson breaks down the different functions of the cathedral and how it is a place for the general public, sometimes, even more than a place of faith. “Our cathedrals have, over the centuries, had four functions. They have been, at different times and with different degrees of emphasis, places where the collegiate clergy holds their services, primarily for themselves, but also for such members of the public as wished to attend; centers for the performance of music to high standard; theaters for great civic and diocesan occasions; and museums of architecture, art, and history” (Hudson 152).

Figure 05: Collage of AC Milan and Azzurri iconic moments and players

Calcio & Religion Calcio, like religion is based on faith. Believing that the team you support will reach the highest possible standing or believing that they will hang on and avoid descending keeps fans euphoric to live the best possible outcome. Every team has a fan base, but there are some teams whose fans are a vital part of the essence of the club and their sense of belonging goes beyond any boundary. In Bilbao, which has suffered deeply from ideological divisions and the political violence of ETA, the club is jealously guarded as the sole institution that unites people: gender, age, class, religion, and political affiliations (Mariann 638). The remains of a city that is broken are carried out to stadium and people are reborn as they enter and slowly die as they walk out of it. The similarities of calcio and religion are not solely attached to faith but to a series of elements that enlist them to the same category. The historical rivalry, the iconic figure, the artifact, the temple, and the fan base, are all elements that calcio, and religion have in common. From the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire to the battle of Beverwijk, the rivalry of two unconnected and disassociated sides have caused violent encounters in both religion and football. The need to showcase who has got the better argument or the ‘true’ icon have led to many battles to be fought, showing the ugly side of the masses. Despite the many violent evets that have occurred throughout history in both religion and football, generally, fans are devoted to their faith and not to the imposition of it over others. Opposite of masses, individuals play a huge role in religion and football. When figures reach the top of the pyramid, they become icons and are praised for the rest of history. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been at the top of their career for the last decade a phenomenon that has never been seen before, two players absolutely dominating the game for more than a decade, who combined have won eleven Ballon d’Or, the most esteemed trophy granted to a player. Similar to football icons, Christianity has great regards to the person who is considered closest to God, that is, the Pope. Followed by millions, the pope is the

Figure 06

Figure 07

Figure 08

Figure 09

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 06: Mamerot, Sébastien. Detail of a medieval miniature of the Siege of Antioch Figure 08: Pope Benedict XVI holding the 1877 ferula of Pius IX on 5 October 2008 Figure 10: Wang, Jiuguang. Milan Cathedral from Piazza del Duomo Figure 12: Borgia, Gregorio. Pope Francis delivering his ‘Urbi et Orbi’ message from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican 22

Figure 07: Court, Carl. Hooligans clash with police in Marseille during Euro 2016 Figure 09: Hewitt, Mike. Kaka of Milan holds aloft the FIFA Player of the Year trophy Figure 11: Cugini & Stacchini plus Ragazzi n Hoffer. San Siro Stadium (Giuseppe Meazza) Figure 13: Kuo, Kelvin. Zlatan Ibrahimovic aclaimed by fans after scoring for LA Galaxy

Calcio & Religion maximum authority of Christianity. As highly regarded icons, the pope and the best player are granted with artifacts that are also very influential. In Christianity, the tiara, the papal ferula cover the pope with historical value and are part of what its figure represents. In football, individual trophies like the Ballon d’Or are the most desired artifact of any player. Also, boots and footballs have transcended their meaning, and some have become an artifact that defines an era, specific event, or player. The temple is what all these elements have in common. A place that unifies the masses, displays the artifacts, and spotlights the icons. According to Provoost, the football stadium is a good reflection of the fluctuating relationship between crowd and individual (09). It also has the capacity to concentrate the energy of a city in a rectangular field of grass. At a smaller scale but equally significant, the cathedral is the home of the bishop and the consecration of the faith of the people. Large enough to hold entire villages in the medieval times, The cathedral, according to writings of Pope Paul VI when he was archbishop of Milan, is “a spiritual and social expression of the unity of believers, a beacon that shines forth through the age in which we are living, a modern structure, or better still, a foundation that is, as it were, undisturbed by the flow of time.

Lotteremo fino alla morte Innalzando i nostri color È la canzone che viene dal cuor Alé alé Milan alé Alé Milan alé

Methodology This book chapter examines different monuments of religion and football around the world. This examination allows us to understand the value of the stadium in the city based on its context and location. The religious monument has imposed its importance in the city center through its connection with the culture of the place and also through the different uses it has been given throughout history. On the other hand, the stadium lost relevance for cities due to its lack of socio-cultural versatility, which means that its presence is not necessary in a place as dense as the city center. Several stadiums manage to expand their land by staying in semiremote areas of the city where they can expand their parking lot or even expand the project to become a larger-scale sports complex. Other stadiums manage to enter the city but become a large impenetrable block that is not functional for the city.

Year built

Stadium

1850 - 1900

STAMFORD BRIDGE ANFIELD

1900 - 1940

OLD TRAFFORD SAN SIRO ARTEMIO FRANCHI STADIO OLIMPICO

1940 - 1949

LA ROSALEDA SANTIAGO BERNABEU

1950 - 1959

MARACANA CAMP NOU DIEGO ARMANDO MARADONA

1960 - 1969

ESTADIO DO MORUMBI ESTADIO MINEIRAO

1970 - 1979

OLYMPIANSTADION MANE GARRINCHA OLYMPIC STADIUM

1980 - 1989

BC PLACE STADIUM THE RUNGRADO FIRST OF MAY STADIUM STADIO DELLE ALPI

1990 - 1999

SAN NICOLA

2000 - 2009

ESTADIO MONUMENTAL ESTADIO MUNICIPAL DE BRAGA ESTADIO DA LUZ RHEINENERGYSTADION ALLIANZ ARENA WEMBLEY STADIUM AT&T STADIUM

2010 - 2015

ALLIANZ STADIUM LONDON STADIUM STADION NARODOWY SAN MAMES US BANK STADIUM

2015 - 2022

JAPAN NATIONAL STADIUM TOTTENHAM HOTSPURS STADIUM AL JANOUB STADIUM SOFI STADIUM

Context densiity

Body of water

Adjacent toGreen field

Part of a sport complex

Part of a masterplan

Adjacent to train station

Edge of urban fabric

Parking sea

Figure 14: Diagram of Artemio Franchi stadium

Case Studies - Stadiums Name: Stadio Artemio Franchi Place: Florence, Italy Year of inauguration: 1931 Capacity: 43,000 Architect: Pier Luigi Nervi Renovation: 1990, 2013 The Artemio Franchi is only a mile away from the city center. It is part of a sport complex that includes the training ground of ACF Fiorentina, community gardens, an Olympic field, rugby fields, and recreational fields. Despite causing a void in the urban fabric, the sport complex integrates the city by a bisecting street that divides the complex into two halves, north and south. This allows citizens to walk around and through the complex. The north side of the complex includes the home of ACF Fiorentina and its training grounds along with a couple of community fields and a park. On the South side of the complex there are community pool and field, and fields for athletic community organizations.

Figure 15: Aerial view of Florence

Figure 16: Aerial view of Artemio Franchi stadium

Figure 17: Diagram of Santiago Bernabeu stadium

Case Studies - Stadiums Name: Santiago Bernabeu Place: Madrid, Spain Year of inauguration: 1947 Capacity: 81,000 Architect: Manuel Muñoz Monasterio & Luis Alemany Soler Renovation: 1982, 2001, 2020 Santiago bernabeu Stadium is one of the most important stadiums in the world as it is home of the most successful club in the history of modern football, Real Madrid. Located about 3 miles north of the center of Madrid, Santiago bernabeu is at the collision of 3 districts. The stadium is part of Hispanoamerica, a residential and corporate district that extends north and east of the stadium. Right across the street, to the west, there is the Cuatro Caminos district, a very busy area that draws very large crowds in game days. Finally, to the south, there is El Viso, the wealthiest neighborhood in Madrid mainly consisting of residential houses.

Figure 18: Aerial view of Madrid

Figure 19: Aerial view of Santiago Bernabeu stadium

Figure 20: Diagram of Maracana stadium

Case Studies - Stadiums Name: Estadio Municipal do Maracana Place: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Year of inauguration: 1950 Capacity: 78,000 Architect: Renovation: 2000, 2006, 2013 Maracanã Stadium is one of the most famous football stadiums in the world. Rio de Janeiro has three main parks: Tijuca National Park, Pedra Branca State Park, and Nova Iguaçu Volcano. Just like these large parks are untouched, other elevated landscapes in Rio de Janeiro are untouched forcing the city to grow around them rather than on them. Maracanã Stadium is part of a void in the urban fabric for its reasonable footprint size and for being adjacent to a hill. Unlike other green voids in the city, the stadium’s area is bisected by the train tracks and a major highway.

Figure 21: Aerial view of Rio de Janeiro

Figure 22: Aerial view of Maracana stadium

Figure 23: Diagram of Estadio do Morumbi

Case Studies - Stadiums Name: Estadio do Morumbi Place: São Paulo, Brazil Year of inauguration: 1960 Capacity: 67,000 Architect: João Batista Vilanova Artigas Renovation: 1996, 2000, 2009, 2016 Morumbi Stadium, officially known as Cicero Pompeu de Toledo Stadium is at the heart of the district of Morumbi in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The stadium is sitting in the lowest part of the district and is surrounded by a wealthy neighborhood that slopes down to the stadium. A long north-to-south strip made of of green areas, the stadium, and a sport complex bisects the residential district into two sides, east and west.

Figure 24: Aerial view of São Paulo

Figure 25: Aerial view of Estadio do Morumbi

Name: Stadio Diego Armando Maradona Place: Naples, Italy Year of inauguration: 1959 Capacity: 54,000 Architect: Carlo Cocchia & Luigi Corradi Renovation: 1990, 2019

Name: Wembley Stadium Place: London, England Year of inauguration: 2007 Capacity: 90,000 Architect: HOK, Foster Renovation: -

Figure 26

Figure 27

Name: Stadio San Nicola Place: Bari, Italy Year of inauguration: 1990 Capacity: 58,000 Architect: Renzo Piano Renovation: Figure 28

Name: Camp Nou Place: Barcelona, Spain Year of inauguration: 1957 Capacity: 99,000 Architect: Soteras Mauiri & Mitjans Miro Renovation: 1995, 2008, 2018

Name: BC Place Stadium Place: Vancouver, Canada Year of inauguration: 1983 Capacity: 54,000 Architect: Studio Phillips Barratt, Ltd. Renovation: 2009, 2011

Name: London Stadium Place: London, England Year of inauguration: 2012 Capacity: 66,000 Architect: HOK Sport Renovation: 2016

Figure 29

Figure 30

Figure 31

Figure 26: Diagram of Stadio Diego Armando Maradona Figure 27: Diagram of Wembley Stadium Figure 28: Diagram of Stadio San Nicola Figure 29: Diagram of Camp Nou Figure 30: Diagram of BC Place Stadium Figure 31: Diagram of London Stadium 36

Case Studies - Stadiums

Name: Old Trafford Place: Manchester, England Year of inauguration: 1910 Capacity: 74,000 Architect: Archibald Leitch Renovation: Figure 32

Name: SoFi Stadium Place: Los Angeles, USA Year of inauguration: 2020 Capacity: 70,000 Architect: HKS, Inc. Renovation: Figure 35

Name: Japan National Stadium Place: Hangzhou, China Year of inauguration: 2018 Capacity: 80,000 Architect: NBBJ & CCDI Renovation: Figure 33

Name: Allianz Arena Place: Munich, Germany Year of inauguration: 2005 Capacity: 75,000 Architect: Herzog & de Meuron ArupSport Renovation: -

Name: Stadio Nacional Mane Garrincha Place: Brasilia, Brazil Year of inauguration: 1974 Capacity: 70,000 Architect: Ícaro de Castro Mello Renovation: 2013

Name: San Siro Place: Milan, Italy Year of inauguration: 1926 Capacity: 80,000 Architect: Ragazzi & Hoffner Renovation: 1935, 1955, 1987, 2015 Figure 37

Figure 36

Figure 34

Figure 32: Diagram of Old Trafford Figure 33: Diagram of Japan National Stadium Figure 34: Diagram of Allianz Arena Figure 35: Diagram of SoFi Stadium Figure 36: Diagram of Stadio Nacional Mane Garrincha Figure 37: Diagram of San Siro 37

Figure 38: Diagram of Milan Cathedral

Case Studies - Cathedrals Name: Duomo di Milano Place: Milan, Italy Year of inauguration: 1965 Architect: Simone da Orsenigo Ground breaking: 1386 Duomo di Milano: In the heart of the northern Italian city of Milan, Duomo di Milano attracts people from all around the world. Being in the center of a shopping district, the cathedral is a highly transited site. Only a couple of blocks away from the cathedral several smaller square towns lead to the larger square town, Piazza del Duomo. The square town is very open with only three features that interrupt the flat ground: A statue of Italy’s first king, Vittorio Emmanuelle II, a garden that serves as a buffer zone, and two main staircases that connect the subway station with the piazza, these stairs slowly reveal the gothic cathedral of Milan as you make every step up. There is a resemblance in the interior of the cathedral and the exterior of the cathedral. The nave resembles the large piazza, the aisle resembles the pathways on the sides of the piazza, the crossing resembles the stairs and entrance to the cathedral, the ambulatory resembles the rounded connection of the aisle behind the cathedral, and the choir resembles the cathedral itself. While the experience of the exterior and interior of the cathedral might be different, its parts and its sequential approach are almost identical.

Figure 39: Aerial view of zone 1 in Milano

Figure 40: Aerial view of Milan Cathedral

Figure 41: Diagram of Florence Cathedral

Case Studies - Cathedrals Name: Florence Cathedral Place: Florence, Italy Year of inauguration: 1436 Architect: Arnolfo di Cambio, Filippo Brunelleschi, Emilio De Fabris Ground breaking: 1296 Florentia was founded in the year 59 BCE for the construction of a military outpost, a square castrum, guarded by four towers located in every corner of the fortress and enclosed by fours thick stone walls and four gates at the cardinal points. The fortress was divided into four different sections bisected by cross axial streets: the cardo running north-south and the decumano running east-west. Piazza della republica was located at the intersection of the two main streets and was considered the civic heart of the public life. Nonetheless, after the fall of the roman empire the city of Florence diverted from the orthogonal grid and new civic centers emerged. The cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is two blocks north of Piazza della Republica and was built on top of a then public center, reclaiming the faith of the Christian church in the heart of the city.

Figure 42: Aerial view of Florence

Figure 43: Aerial view of Florence Cathedral

Figure 44: Diagram of the Sagrada Família

Case Studies - Cathedrals Name: Sagrada Família Place: Barcelona, Spain Year of inauguration: 2026 Architect: Antoni Gaudí Ground breaking: 1882 Florentia was founded in the year 59 BCE for the construction of a military outpost, a square castrum, guarded by four towers located in every corner of the fortress and enclosed by fours thick stone walls and four gates at the cardinal points. The fortress was divided into four different sections bisected by cross axial streets: the cardo running north-south and the decumano running east-west. Piazza della republica was located at the intersection of the two main streets and was considered the civic heart of the public life. Nonetheless, after the fall of the roman empire the city of Florence diverted from the orthogonal grid and new civic centers emerged. The cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is two blocks north of Piazza della Republica and was built on top of a then public center, reclaiming the faith of the Christian church in the heart of the city.

Figure 45: Aerial view of Barcelona

Figure 46: Aerial view of the Sagrada Família

Figure 47: Young men playing footbal on a square in Caracas (2010)

What Makes Community Social Interaction with others is an inherent characteristic of people. Despite individualist actions and competitive behavior, human beings are dependent on each other’s to function better in society. The first time that humans gathered in groups was for the necessity to keep their bodies warm. Gathering around a fire did much more than keep people warm for the night; it led to the creation of common spaces, communities, and ultimately, civilization. The realization that grouping facilitates the lives of all individuals within it changed the direction of humanity. Today, there is still a dependence on social interaction, perhaps not for survival, but for the better functioning of our lives. Of all kinds of social gathering spaces, the Italian piazzas are the most unique. A place to do nothing specific: to reflect, to see, to hear, or to contemplate, piazzas are fundamental to the community. Piazzas create a sense of place and perspective, fitting together like polychromatic pieces of a puzzle to create a total character unique to any specific city section and to the city as a whole (Fusch 424). Piazzas are to the city what people are to the neighborhood, a connecting link that stitches together the essence and meaning of place. The antecedent of the Italian piazzas is the Roman Forum which has a conceptual and design similarity to the Greek Agora. These imperious open structures were the center of day-to-day life for centuries. The primary function of any piazza is intimately related to its place in the modern Italian urban fabric and to its location in terms of other piazzas, residential areas, and community history (Fusch 436). The livelihood of the piazza is also a consequence of the dominance of the church in the city. During the Roman empire, churches were built at the edge of the city limits, as opposed to the piazza that was at the heart of the city.

Figure 48: Stradanus. Football match in Piazza Santa Maria Novella in Florence (1523-1605)

What Makes Community After the disintegration of the roman empire, the orderly roman grid was dismantled, and new pathways and streets made their way into a new grid system creating new open public spaces that were associated with the institutions that dominated the city life in particular, the church. The new grid that was reoriented to the Christian church also caused merchants, artisans, and nobility to migrate to a new piazza in front of the church. Between 600 and 1100, open spaces fronting churches or serving as landings for noble-family towers became the piazzas around which public life was conducted (Fusch 426). These central hubs for social interaction were successful in creating a sense of community in a particular place. Something that also happened at the amphitheater where people gathered and shared experiences that united them for as long the event lasted. Today, stadiums, like cathedrals, are religious temples where communities are built, and relationships developed. The integration and acceptance of a person into a group are solely defined by faith. It is at the spiritual level where supporters find their commonalities. The community is anchored not by political power, ideology, or class but by some of the purest emotions, beliefs, and fears of people. The social order that emerges in the stadium is legitimized by the intensity of emotion and the pervasiveness of the concern generated by the team across the city. It is an order based not on the social structure but rather on the liminal quality of the stands, which suspends social status in order to embrace a common desire (Vaczi 648). Sport is a setting of patterned behaviors, social structures, and interinstitutional relationships that establishes distinctive opportunities that expose the complexity of social life.

Ale ale ale Milan ale Forza lotta vincerai Non ti lasceremo mai

Problem Use Historically, stadiums were built for different purposes. The Greeks were the first ones to use the word “stadia” to describe the elongated and narrow structure that holds sporting events. The Roman had two types of stadiums: circus and amphitheaters. Where chariot races, horse races, and gladiator combats were held. Stadiums and sports venues are among the oldest forms of urban architecture and have been at the heart of our cities for far longer than the great medieval cathedrals or the railway stations of the Industrial Revolution (Alessandro Melis, 2019). Modern stadiums, however, have gotten farther away from the city, surrounded by large asphalt areas and disconnected from the community. The great footprint and size of stadiums lead to a great amount of energy consumption and very rarely give back some of the green space that it takes away from the landscape. In Italy, some stadiums are part of the city while others were built far away from the city center. The Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, also known as the San Siro, sits at the edge of the city and is one of three stadiums in the Italian Serie A that have two tenants. San Siro stadium is used two times more than the regular European stadium. Being the home of AC Milan and Internazionale, the San Siro holds a soccer encounter every weekend from August to May for the Italian league (Serie A). About every other week, Champions league or Coppa Italia matches are scheduled. San Siro also holds international matches for the Italian National team for World Cup qualifications, UEFA Nations League games, international friendlies, and major European tournaments. San Siro is the largest stadium in Italy, with a capacity of 80,000. This allows it to hold large events like concerts. Having multiple rooms, it is capable of hosting corporate events, gala dinners, private parties, photoshoots, and conventions. The exact number of matches that the stadium holds per year varies every year as it depends on both teams’ performances in local and European competitions and whether the Azzurri is hosting an international competition like the world cup or the European Championship that year. The longer the teams stay in their corresponding competition, the more games they will need to play per season.

Figure 49: Prelvini. San Siro stadium at night (2021)

Use If Italy hosts a major international competition, Inter and Milan go to the final stage of all the competitions they participate in, and concerts are held as often as in the pre-pandemic era, the San Siro Stadium would hold 78 major events in a single year. This means that in a particularly busy year, the stadium is occupied 21% of the time. 2021/2022 San Siro events: Serie A games Coppa Italia games Champions League games Azzurri games Concerts Tours

38 2-7 0-12 0-6 0-15 daily

The city of Milan will witness the demolition of the San Siro and the construction of a new stadium designed by Populous that will still serve as the home of the two teams of the city: AC Milan and FC Internazionale. The new stadium will be constructed on the same site as the San Siro and will count with 22 acres of green space around it, isolating it from the urban fabric. The research in this project uncovers the prevalence and importance of the iconic monument in the city by establishing an extra programmatic influence on the community and culture of the city. The location of the new stadium will remain at the fading edge of the urban fabric. It will have a green ring that will activate the site but not the stadium, maintaining the use of the stadium at 21% or lower like the San Siro. If the new stadium were relocated closer to the city and designed to serve different programmatic needs of the area, the stadium would have the potential to transcend from a sports complex to a vital organ of the city.

Sempre insieme a te sarò Solo mai ti lascerò Sono nato rossonero Da bandito morirò

Proposal Site After experiencing bombings during World War II, the Milan witnessed an economic turnover that led to the construction of new buildings and the opening of more industries. One of the consequences of Milan’s industrial past is the industry’s strong imprint on the city’s urban fabric. After the period of high industrialization, the spaces used for factories were abandoned, leaving the city with a considerable number of brownfields and large, unused buildings. In recent years, however, Milan has seen a massive urban transformation of the city. Areas such as Pirelli, Falck, Magneti-Marelli, Innocenti, and Montedison Rogoredo are just some of the many historical industrial places that are now being targeted by the city for new planning projects. Reinventing Milan’s industrial past is bringing great benefits to the city’s cultural and artistic endeavors. The municipality seems to be focusing its attention on the re-use of old factories to increase cultural opportunities for its residents. Large spaces that once hosted manufacturing work are now being restructured into multi-cultural spaces that can host workshops and events.

Figure 50: Map of Milan

Site This project proposes a new stadium for Italian club AC Milan in the southeast precinct of the city, in the district of Calvairate in Municipality 4. Calvairate changed from a rural to an urban district in the 1910s, when the first apartment blocks were built in the area. Nowadays, Calvairate is a residential district, though preserving large green areas and accommodating a large wholesale and retail markets.

Figure 51: Map of zone 4 in Milan

Figure 52: Diagram of site half-mile radius showing parks

Figure 53: Diagram of site half-mile radius showing residencial sector

Site The district of Calvairate is a recidential quarter that has many parks including the Vittorio Formentano Park that holds a WWII memorial. In a half mile radius, the site encounters a variety of cultural centers like fashion design schools, modeling agencies, event venues, museums, and memorials.

Figure 54: Diagram of site half-mile radius showing industrial sector

Figure 55: Diagram of site half-mile radius showing abandoned lots

Figure 56: Diagram of Calvairate district showing real state division

Site The site is at the collision point of the residential, industrial, and cultural sectors of the district of Calvairate. Being in such area, the site is highly transited during the day by residents and at night by the working force that keeps the markets running. In addition, the site’s location allows it to serve the community through its connection with the fruit, vegetable, seafood, and florist companies.

Figure 57: Diagram of Calvairate district showing landmarks and points of interest

Figure 58: Public transportation diagram of Calvairate district

Site The site is a stone’s throw away from the Milan Porta Vittoria station, which is served by the suburban lines that link the metropolitan area to the city center through the railway link. This enables the site to be reached in a few minutes, as well as the Rogoredo station, which is served by high-speed trains, and the Forlanini station, linked to Linate airport through the M4.

Figure 59: Diagram showing photos’ direction.

Figure 60: Photos around the district of Calvairate

Figure 61: Site perimeter

Figure 62: Abandoned lots that are being repurposed

Design Proposal The proposal reintroduces the abandoned buildings of the slaughterhouse to hold mixed-use spaces to include workplaces, housing and commercial. The proposal is focused on creating a socially conscious urban destination intended to respond to the needs of the existing social fabric. The Housing on the east side of the stadium will hold international players from the AC Milan academy that have been recently brought from other countries and that are going through the process of cultural adaptation. The housing to the west of the stadium will hold students from the different universities in the city. The stadium introduction to the florist market to the south and the seafood and vegetable market to the north open it up to the city establishing a new commercial and sports landmark. The stadium counts with 7 plazas. Two of those plazas are main plazas, one in the front (west) and one in the back (east) of the stadium. The one in the front will be mainly for pre-game gathering and will serve as the main entry point to the stadium, the one in the back will serve as pre-game gathering on gameday and as an extension of the sport complex during regular days.

Figure 63: Abandoned lots integrated into desgin

Figure 64: Site plan

Figure 65: Site plan 64

Figure 66: Southeast aerial view of design

Design Proposal The proposal is envisioned as a living organ of the city, crowded with activities that promote new ways of learning, growing, living, and working while experiencing the stadium from different perspectives. The area’s rich cultural and architectural heritage and a program for initiatives dedicated to citizens will become a neighborhood targeting social and economic sustainability.

Figure 67: Southeast aerial view of design in the district of Calvairate

Daily circulation: In a daily basis, the stadium will be used as a shopping mall for the different food companies that it holds. Despite having available parking, the stadium is easily reached by foot from the adjacent residencies. The food-loaded trucks can access food companies inside the stadium through a truck-only access point that leads them directly to the underground loading dock.

Figure 68: Circulation diagram on regular days 68

Circulation during an event: During an event, people will be able to use different methods of public transportation that will leave them one block away from the stadium. Parallel parking will be available all around the site. The large parking lots belonging to the company south of the stadium could be used on the day of an event. The stadium also counts with underground parking exclusive to staff, the media, and other organizations involved in the event.

Truck path Truck entry point Team bus path Bus entry point Parking Stadium gates Primary walkways Train and bus station Football academy walkways

Figure 69: Circulation diagrams on the day of an event 69

Figure 70: West elevation

Figure 71: East elevation

Figure 72: North elevation

Figure 73: South elevation

Design Proposal The stadium design reacts to the city and the different programmatic elements introduced to it. The elevations show how the stadiums’ roof and columns make it a city icon. At the same time, the various programs allow it to be inhabited at any time of the day by the community of Calvairate.

Via Cesare Lombroso is an essential road to the district of Calvairate as it serves as one of the main roads that cross the railroad to get to the highway and is the main entry point of the fruit, seafood, vegetable, and flower industries that are in the area. In the proposal, via Cesare Lombroso remains the entry point to the seafood, vegetable, and florist markets that are now relocated into the stadium. The road also serves as a display for the activities that happen inside the stadium. Whether you are in the florist market in the morning or a game at night, the energy created inside the stadium will be visible to the people transiting on this road.

Figure 74: Florist building extruding out of the stadium seen from from Via Cesare Lombroso 72

Figure 75: Exploded axo

Figure 76: Floor plan Lvl 0

Figure 77: Floor plan Lvl 01

Figure 78: Floor plan Lvl 02

Figure 79: Floor plan Lvl 03

Figure 80: Cross section

Design Proposal The markets and the stadium are envisioned to function simultaneously if needed. The markets are located at the stadium’s lower level, where there is no direct access to the stands. On levels one, two, and three, the markets and the stadium only have a visual connection. The proposal’s design serves the community’s necessity of obtaining vegetables and fruits and the country’s passion for calcio. The sections show how the markets’ form starts to be molded by the stands, and the roof is inhabited.

Figure 81: Longitudinal section

Figure 82: Cross section

Figure 83: Exterior perspective of the stadium main gate seen from a piazza outside seafood market

he main entry point of the stadium is on the west side. From there, people will be able to go down the grand stairs and enter the markets. On game days, people can go straight through the gates above the markets.

Figure 84: Exterior perspective of the stadium and ortomercato

As people walk around the stadium, they will find the markets extruding out of the building and allowing people to look down on the shopping people.

Figure 85: Interior perspective of florist

Figure 86: Interior perspective of ortomercato

The florist, seafood, and vegetable markets follows the angle of the stands and extends out of the stadium, allowing people walking by to peak down to the markets.

Figure 87: Exterior perspective of east piazza during game day

The stadium will have two main plazas, one in the front of the stadium and one in the back. The one in the back will serve as a pre-game gathering on game day as a plaza for the sports complex during regular days.

Figure 88: Interior perspective of stadium

During a game, people will be able to walk inside and around the stadium as they would in any other stadium, with the exception of sporadic moments where the market reveals itself dictating the quality of the space.

Figure 89: Exterior perspective of stadium from west piazza

The city center is northwest of the site, and the bus and train stations are also on that side, making it the main entry point to the site. Before entering the stadium, there is a piazza that serves as a buffer zone to the rest of the site. The stadium’s west facade is the most iconic as the roof undulates over the columns that make space for the gates into the stadium.

E io cantero fino all novantesimo Che fatica che ti chiedo, forza Milan facci un gol E facci un gol, la curva sud ti ama tutta la settimana io penso solo a te E rossonero unico grande amore una grade passione che sta dentro di me

Conclusions The city of Milan is an alpha global city, that is, a primary node in the major economic network. The city has strengths in the fields of art, commerce, design, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, media, services, research, and tourism. The great economic and cultural richness of the city and other cities in Europe are an undisputed and inescapable call for new developments. Unlike Italy, other European countries have developed their sports infrastructure to the highest possible standard. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in England, Allianz Arena in Germany, San Mamés Stadium in Spain, are some examples of European stadiums that are at top level of performance and experience quality. In Milan, the San Siro stadium was built in 1926 and has been renovated 4 times since. Today, both tenants of the San Siro are looking to construct a new home and demolish the historic San Siro. The relocation of the new stadium to an area closer to the city center along with the incorporation of new programs within the stadium can be of benefit to the Milan community. The large industrial and residential area of the Calvairate district plus the abandoned land that belonged to the city’s slaughterhouse make the Calvairate district the ideal place for the development of the new Milan stadium. The proposal aims to reconceptualize the principles of the stadium by integrating it to the urban fabric and incorporating spaces for a daily use. The work done in this research can lead to further exploration of the stadium as acritical element of the urban fabric and more specifically, the integration of a mix-use stadium in the city of Milan. There are 2 main exploration that I found critical throughout the research project that can be further developed. The first one is to keep analyzing the permeability of the stadium to hold other programmatic elements. The stadium is a typology that serves a very specific purpose, hold sports events. But can the stadium’s form be transformed to yield some of its sports space to hold other spaces like residencies, or shopping malls, transcending the purpose of the stadium while keeping the essence of the stadium? The second exploration is to define where the stadium stands in the culture of the city and how that could define the use that is given to the stadium.

Forza diavolo ale Vivo solo per te Io non ti lascerò Sempre con te saró E non importa se Io finirò nei guai Unico amore sei Non ti ho tradito mai

List of Figures All uncited photographs and images are by author

Figure 01: Olaszmelo, AC Milan fans during a game (2006). CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons Figure 02: Viollet-le-Duc, Eugene. Structure of an early six-part gothic rib vault. Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=426276 Figure 03: Chenoweth, Richard. Scale comparison of different gothic cathedrals Figure 04: Dall’Orto, Giovanni. Milan Cathedral’s nave (2007). <a href=”https://commons.wikimedia. org/wiki/File:IMG_3711_-_Milano_-_Duomo_-_Interno_-_Foto_di_Giovanni_Dall%27Orto_-_13jan-2007.jpg”>G.dallorto</a>, Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons Figure 06: Mamerot, Sébastien. Detail of a medieval miniature of the Siege of Antioch. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Figure 07: Court, Carl. Hooligans clash with police in Marseille during Euro (2016) Figure 08: Pope Benedict XVI holding the 1877 ferula of Pius IX (2008) Figure 09: Hewitt, Mike. Kaka of Milan holds aloft the FIFA Player of the Year trophy (2007) Figure 10: Wang, Jiuguang. Milan Cathedral from Piazza del Duomo Figure 11: Cugini & Stacchini plus Ragazzi n Hoffer. San Siro Stadium (Giuseppe Meazza) Figure 12: Borgia, Gregorio. Pope Francis delivering his ‘Urbi et Orbi’ message from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Figure 13: Kuo, Kelvin. Zlatan Ibrahimovic aclaimed by fans after scoring for LA Galaxy (2018) Figure 15: Aerial view of Florence (Google Earth 2022) Figure 16: Aerial view of Artemio Franchi stadium (Google Earth 2022)

Figure 18: Aerial view of Madrid (Google Earth 2022) Figure 19: Aerial view of Santiago Bernabeu stadium (Google Earth 2022) Figure 21: Aerial view of Rio de Janeiro (Google Earth 2022) Figure 22: Aerial view of Maracana stadium (Google Earth 2022) Figure 24: Aerial view of São Paulo (Google Earth 2022) Figure 25: Aerial view of Estadio do Morumbi (Google Earth 2022) Figure 39: Aerial view of zone 1 in Milano (Google Earth 2022) Figure 40: Aerial view of Milan Cathedral (Google Earth 2022) Figure 42: Aerial view of Florence (Google Earth 2022) Figure 43: Aerial view of Florence Cathedral (Google Earth 2022) Figure 45: Aerial view of Barcelona (Google Earth 2022) Figure 46: Aerial view of the Sagrada Família (Google Earth 2022) Figure 47: Young men playing footbal on a square in Caracas (2010). CC BY 2.0 <https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons Figure 48: Stradanus. Football match in Piazza Santa Maria Novella in Florence (1523-1605). Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Figure 49: Prelvini. San Siro stadium at night (2021). CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons Figure 60: Photos around the district of Calvairate. (Google Maps 2022)

In giro per il mondo, C’è solo una bandiera, Ha solo due colori, È quella rossonera, E quando vedo il Milan, Non ci sto dentro più, Io canto per il diavolo, Dai fallo pure tu

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