PROJECT STORY
The Challenge
To redevelop Il Tardini, a stadium located in the heart of Parma, with full regard for the region and the people who live there and sensitivity to key social and political balances.
Ennio Tardini Stadium - Parma Calcio 1913
Redeveloping Il Tardini, Together
The Solution
Regeneration with the city at its heart, based on listening to the community, integrating the stadium into its physical and cultural setting and helping to improve the quality of life for the people of Parma.
The Impact
A renovated home for the Parma Calcio soccer club. Not just a stadium, but also a multipurpose center for the community, open and running 7 days a week — not only on match days.
The Challenge
The Tardini stadium is located in the center of Parma. The site not only forms part of the city's history, but also part of the history of sport in Italy. However, its downtown location and its age render it a problematic structure in terms of traffic and safety. What's more, its historical and cultural value place it at the center of key social and political sensitivities that need to be balanced. As such, adapting the stadium to current needs means considering the wellbeing of fans and citizens, protecting the environment and improving the match experience, all while ensuring that the impact from sound and lighting on the surrounding areas is reduced.
The Solution
The aims of the Tardini project are to harmoniously integrate the stadium into the physical and cultural setting in which it is located and to contribute toward improving the quality of life for the citizens of Parma, by taking action to reduce its impact, combat waste and reduce consumption. As Project and Development Manager of the project, Arcadis Italia has helped the Krause Group, the owner of Parma Calcio, to select the architecture studio that will be designing the new stadium.
Following a bidding process, Studio Zoppini was appointed to this role, which developed an 'urban project.' The stadium will become an integral part of the neighborhood, well connected to the historic town center, the Barilla Center, the Cittadella Park and the Giacomo Ferrari Park, and easy to reach using public transport or by walking or cycling. The design's vision is to transform the stadium into an innovative, inclusive, eco-friendly and multipurpose space, surrounded by a large public square directly in front of the Petitot stand featuring a covered arcade and new services for the community. Fully available and accessible to all.
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In terms of location, the stadium will remain where it is. Various studies have shown that moving it outside the city would reduce its accessibility, encourage the use of private motorized vehicles, increase land use in the city and leave the current Tardini stadium in a state of degradation that would run the risk of the site becoming an urban void. On the contrary, the project team, together with Parma Calcio, is studying and analyzing solutions that reduce the negative impacts of the stadium on the community. And the new cover will contribute to a significant reduction in noise pollution, while integrating the lighting into the roof structure will dramatically decrease light pollution.
The Impact
Il Tardini will transform from just a soccer and event venue to a space available to the entire community throughout the week — not just on match days. It will be a multipurpose center where public events can also be held, skillfully integrated with and connected to the city. Its environmental impact will be significantly reduced compared to the current site, partly due to the need to choose the right materials to be used at every stage (low carbon footprint and whole-life cost). There will be a clear reduction in the impact of sound and lighting, which will be powered by sustainable energy sources and integrated into the roof structure to reduce light pollution and increase energy efficiency.
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It's no coincidence that the project is being proposed as a fine example in applying the principles of social, environmental and corporate sustainability. It aims to give Il Tardini a new, vital role in the life of the city and its team for the next century to come. The redevelopment of Il Tardini is part of a wider vision to internationalize and enhance the entire city, proposing — for the first time in the history of Italian stadiums — a regeneration with the city at its heart, while balancing multiple social and political sensitivities between public interest and private economic sustainability, to protect both the environment and the community and region.
