October 4, 2007
Global Seminars & Invited Speaker Series
FOOTBALL STADIUMS, THE NEW CATHEDRALS OF THE 21ST CENTURY
Stadiums: the new cathedrals of the 21st century
Mr. José Javier Azanza López
Chairof Navarrese Heritage and Art
Professor José Javier Azanza addressed the image of soccer stadiums as "new cathedrals" of the 21st century, spaces where urban ritual models take place and which reach the category of architectural landmarks of the city in which they are built.
To become an icon of modernity, the soccer stadium has undergone an evolution marked by several stages, which would have its beginnings in the precarious playing fields that were being conditioned in the first decade of the twentieth century. Between 1910 and 1930, the first enclosed fields with grandstands were inaugurated, coinciding with the professionalization of soccer and the appearance of the National League Championship. The great stadiums of Spanish soccer were built in the middle decades of the century, the beginning of an era of colossalism in sports venues, whose greatest exponents were the Nuevo Estadio de Chamartín (later Santiago Bernabéu) and the Camp Nou.
Corralón de Gaiteira, scene of the rivalry matches between Club Deportivo and Club Coruña
between Club Deportivo and Club Coruña
The celebration of the World Cup in Spain in June and July 1982, led to a profound remodeling that provided Spanish soccer with the most modern stadiums in the world network , placing it at the head, along with Brazil and Germany, of the infrastructures for this sport. In the following decade, the stadiums underwent a new phase of action, motivated in this case by security reasons, to adapt the venues to the measures dictated by national and international bodies to curb violent acts in sport.
Future Mestalla Stadium, Valencia, Spain
In the 21st century, a new stage in sports architecture has emerged with the appearance of postmodern stadiums, which have their immediate precedent in the Ajax Arena in Amsterdam and their final confirmation in the Allianz Arena in Munich. Three notes are particularly relevant in this new generation of stadiums. The first is its architectural design , so that many of the large stadiums bear the signature of relevant architects, authors of unique buildings that stand out not only for their functionality, but also for their aesthetics. Secondly, safety and comfort, to the improvement of which the construction characteristics of the stadium should contribute. Finally, its flexible and multifunctional character, which turns the soccer stadium into a multipurpose venue capable of accommodating all subject of uses, thus incorporating itself into the new marketing strategies of cities.
Allianz Arena, Munich