Fiorentina to build new €420mn stadium by 2021

Italy’s Fiorentina unveiled on March 10 for a new stadium, which it hopes to be playing in by 2021, according to media reports. The new stadium will seat 40,000 people, with the closest fans being only seven meters from the field.

The €420 million ($447 million) project will regenerate an area in Mercafir, a northwestern suburb of Florence, and also includes a shopping center, a hotel and new transport links.

“It’s a historic moment. We’re presenting an important project for Florence and for all of Italy. It will be a sort of Purple Renaissance,” Fiorentina owner Andrea Della Valle was quoted as saying by The Associate Press. Purple is the color of Fiorentina, which is nicknamed the Viola.

The first brick is expected to be laid in 2019, with construction taking two years.

The new stadium has been designed by global architectural firm Arup. “The design takes inspiration from the local history and landscape to define a well-rooted building that represents an opportunity for the redevelopment of the area and will be the modern home of ACF Fiorentina,” a statement from Arup said.

“We have embraced this exciting privilege and acknowledge the great responsibility in designing this stadium, to make the best possible experience for the Fiorentina fans and to make the most beautiful and well considered building that we can for the City of Florenc,” elucidated James Finestone, Lead Architect, Arup.

Offering more details on the project, a stadiumdb.com report said: “48 hectares of land at Mercafir will create enough room for the club’s new stadium, a hotel with 200 beds, 77,000 square meter mall/office centre, 45,000 square meter of parking, a small training complex and well-landscaped plaza with brand new train station.”

There will be three railway stations supporting this stadium on matchdays, which combined with highway running just beside it sounds like the perfect place within Florence’s dense fabric, the report said.

The stadium itself will be simple, symmetric and elegant, as designed by Italian branch of world-famous Arup. Shiny metallic finishing and wavy shape of both the façade and stands should give a great impression inside and out. At night LED illumination will make the building come alive, also providing one of the first halos around the entire inner edge of the roof, the report elaborated.

LED lighting will be used throughout the building to cut energy consumption and two other environment-friendly features are to be used: photovoltaic panels and rainwater collection system. Together with ancillary uses this should give the building the desired LEED Gold standard, it further added.

The stadium will bring a major shift in matchday experience, eliminating paper tickets and cash. Fans will be able to buy tickets, purchase merchandise and watch replays all with just their mobiles, thanks to the building’s fast internet connection.

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