‘The Crusaders’ to ‘crusade’ for dream venue

Article posted by Coliseum, April 8^th, 2021

Image: Parma Calcio 1913

The Italian professional football club Parma Calcio 1913 unfolded their concept for an ambitious stadium project vis à vis reconfiguration of their residence – Stadio Tardini – on April 6^th, 2021. The slogan for the entire stadium project is – ‘A Stadium for Parma, Inspired by Parma’. Parma Calcio boasting an avant-garde venue is the dream of the owner and President of the club Kyle Krause. His wish is to give the City, the club and its fans a venue for the next generation.

Kyle J Krause is the owner and President of Parma Calcio 1913. He is the founder and CEO of Krause Group, the parent company to a diverse set of businesses in the United States and Italy that include convenience retail, logistics, wineries, hospitality, real estate, agriculture, and sports.

‘Parma Calcio’ stated that ‘The Crusaders’ presented, via video, their vision for an innovative, inclusive, environmentally sustainable and multiuse stadium for the City and the club’s fans. Unveiling the concept is just the first step in anticipation of the finalization of the real development, which will be filed within a month. All of this goes hand in hand with constant dialog between Parma Calcio and all parties involved: Residents, fans, the authorities, and organizations.

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Parma Calcio 1913, commonly referred to as Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia-Romagna (Italy). It currently competes in Serie A, the top flight of Italian football.

The 22,352-capacity Stadio Ennio Tardini, commonly referred to as just Il Tardini, is a football stadium in Parma, Italy, located near the center of Parma, between the town center and the City walls. It is the home of Parma Calcio 1913. The stadium was built in 1923 and was named after one of Parma’s former Presidents, Ennio Tardini.

Employing the fundamental idea-sharing process as an initial base – and never forgetting the history and tradition of the ducal City, Design practice based in Milan (Italy), Studio Zoppini, has been able to draw up this first rendering of what the repurposed Tardini will look like. In the coming weeks, the architecture studio, which was nominated by the Krause Group, will finetune and finalize the project, according high priority to the needs expressed by the club, its fans and by the City.

‘Parma Calcio’ further stated that the new Tardini will be a futuristic stadium, which will stand as an example of innovation for the decades to come. It shall be a multipurpose facility that may be used by the community throughout the whole week, not just on gamedays. It will, therefore, not only provide a new digs for Parma and its fans but also a multipurpose space for the entirety of the local community on which it will sit, who – via the survey done by – have already expressed a favorable opinion towards the rehabilitation of the stadium on the current grounds, furthermore stressing on the fact that it should become a facility open throughout the week.

Parma Calcio’s investment displays, once again, just what club President Kyle Krause means when he speaks of a long-term project. The refurbished Tardini will be a fundamental aspect of City life and the life of the team over the coming century.

Averred Parma Calcio President Kyle Krause, “Tardini Stadium has stood in its place for 100 years, a proud symbol of Parma and its people. We recently began a journey to ensure that it remains here, reimagined and regenerated, for another century. The investment we are planning to make into the stadium is a significant one for Krause Group, and we are excited to share this vision with the people of Parma and Calcio fans around the world. We aim to give the City of Parma a modern, multifunctional space that can be enjoyed by all, with the utmost attention being given to the needs of the neighborhood. I am proud of this project and I cannot wait to support the team in our new Tardini for many decades to come.”

Said architect Alessandro Zoppini. “It’s an honor to be able to work in a City with such a great history and with a team as prestigious as Parma – and for an international group as well-renowned as the Krause Group. Our project will give life to a sustainable stadium with a unique atmosphere: A renovated home, in which the fans will be close to the action. The new Tardini, which is inspired by the past and the history of Parma yet projected to the future, will provide more than 20,000m² of public spaces, open every day at the service of the community and, above all, the next generation, becoming a place of gathering and inclusion. Its unique and innovative nature will see it become a point of reference for future stadia and an icon for the City.”

Commented Mayor of Parma Federico Pizzarotti, “The process to get the new stadium, which has reached an important stage, will require the involvement of everybody: Citizens and the various leaders in the City, Parma Calcio and the local Government. We have always maintained that the realization of the new stadium ought to be a common journey with the club and with local residents, and it will continue to be just that. The dream is to renovate the Tardini, integrating it even more into the local area and the City, and bring it to life through a project that falls completely under the banner of sustainability and environmental quality. I want to thank Parma Calcio and my fellow citizens, this is an alliance that benefits all of Parma.”

Added Vice-Mayor Marco Bosi, “After months of shared work, in which we have strongly desired to take the will of the local area onboard, a Tardini for everybody is beginning to take shape: Modern, sustainable and inclusive. The club has worked in the desired direction and I can only ever be pleased with that. There will be no further land reduction, a reduction of emissions, accessibility of all areas regardless of physical abilities, reduction of height, preservation of the Puccini school building, to name but a few. The redevelopment of the stadium is, above all, an important operation in terms of returning public spaces to Parma locals. I have to clarify that it will be a month until the project is officially lodged and we will use that time to the full to continue this dialog with the City to accommodate any useful ideas for improvements.”

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