Arena Sportiva Virtus Bologna

The project for the new multi-purpose building, which will replace Hall 35 of the trade fair grounds, is part of a wider strategy for the functional completion of BolognaFiere to enable it to also offer cultural, sport, and entertainment activities.

This will make the trade fair area more and more into a piece of city, specialised not only for large trade fairs but also more open to other uses.

The part of BolognaFiere that overlooks Piazza della Costituzione and Viale Aldo Moro will become more and more accessible, partly as a result of construction of the tramway Red Line, which has stops in Viale Aldo Moro and Viale della Fiera, and partly because the creation of new venues for shows, sporting events, and entertainment will make the neighbourhood a living and liveable place at all times, rather than only during trade fairs.

The opening of these new venues for shows and entertainment, in a location that will also have other venues of the same type (such as the Teatro Europa auditorium and the Comunale Nouveau Theatre) will gradually reconfigure the area as a true entertainment district and bring a new vibrancy to the area, which includes Piazza Renzo Imbeni and extends as far as the western entrance at Piazza della Costituzione.

Designed to be built on the site currently occupied by Pavilion 35, the Multipurpose Pavilion will stand at the intersection between Piazza Aldo Moro, which links the centre of Bologna to the first suburbs, and Viale della Fiera. This is a privileged vantage point in relation to the city’s most important arterial roads, the motorway system, and the ring road. It will be accessible both from the square that faces Viale Aldo Moro (overlooked by Pavilion 34, south entrance) and from the car park opposite Viale della Fiera.

On the Via Aldo Moro side, which is used by pedestrians as well as vehicles, a large entrance portal will give immediate direct access for those arriving on foot, whilst on the Viale della Fiera side, which is open to vehicles, more emphasis has been placed on the iconic nature of the new building to make it immediately recognisable.

In relation to the Aldo Moro entrance, during development of the project the piazza will be considered for upgrading, and provision will be made for reorganising the entrances and the areas of the trade fair pavilions adjacent to it, so that they become a functional gateway to the new building and, more generally, to the trade fair park as a whole.

Architecturally the project consists of a plinth approximately 10 metres high that supports the Arena and rises to a height of 25 metres. The volume of this new pavilion, with its display façades, makes it a landmark building of great impact which, at the same time, is simple and fits well into the context of the neighbourhood. Externally it is fully enclosed by a ‘dynamic envelope’, a façade that runs all round the perimeter to form an urban backdrop, on which images can be projected announcing whatever event is taking place, and presenting itself as a large overhead lantern that informs visitors, fans, and the city about the activities taking place inside.

One of the objectives of the project is to maximise the ground floor to give a free exhibition area that is as large as possible and will be able to accommodate, as required, the Arena bowl itself or, when it is partly dismantled, trade fair exhibitions.

For that reason, inside the pavilion the permanent ‘fixed’ functions – such as lifts, stairs, changing rooms, and bathrooms – will be placed in the side wings whilst the moveable ‘versatile’ functions – which include the sports training pitches, part of the seating, and the hospitality area that is designed to accommodate the VIP audience during games – will be placed in the central wings. Thanks to this layout, the ground floor of the pavilion can be used dynamically according to different configurations: sports, exhibitions, congresses and, potentially, public entertainment.

The project therefore envisages the construction of two buildings: the pavilion itself containing the Arena, and a separate building for exhibitions that can also serve as a satellite pavilion containing functions that will be open to the public using the Arena.

With an approximate capacity of 10,000 seats, the Arena has been designed not only to have the characteristics of a multi-purpose sports facility, but also to ensure efficiency and versatility by providing adequate free space and internal heights for trade fair exhibitions.

The result is a facility that is flexible not only in terms of the dimensions of the pitch – which in the sports configuration guarantees the basic dimensions of a 28×15 metre basketball court – but also in relation to the number and position of the stands. A rapid assembly/disassembly system makes it possible to change the capacity of the space and increase the visibility of the court, guaranteeing maximum efficiency in every configuration of the hall, from sports to trade fairs and potentially as an arena for events and shows.

In the design of the grandstands, to enhance the spectator experience the bleachers have been brought as close as possible to the playing area. Supporting this decision, international guidelines and the specific requirements of the basketball discipline were taken into account, respecting the visibility values imposed by FIBA and Euroleague.

The design of the Arena includes the possibility of incorporating prestige areas such as exclusive seats and sky boxes. Following contemporary examples of European and American arenas, during development the project will pay particular attention to the spaces reserved for panels and displays that are designed to take graphics, scenography, and advertising communications, to make the project complete in a way that does impede its public visibility.

Access to the Arena will be from Piazza Aldo Moro, partly using the existing entrances to the exhibition area, which may potentially be re-organised during development of the project, and taking advantage of the existing vehicle entrances from Viale della Fiera, thereby ensuring that the pedestrian and vehicle flows are kept separate. For the structural engineering, preference will be given to local, natural, recycled or recyclable materials; efficient technologies and processes will be adopted, and provision will be made for programmed maintenance. The project will also be designed for end-of-life selective demolition and the recovery of materials and components.