Rome, March 28 – The Rome City Council has given its approval to the proposal for the architectural and functional redevelopment of the ‘Centrale’ Stadium at Foro Italico. This decision paves the way for a strategic public interest project that will transform the facility into a year-round multi-functional venue.
Approval Clears Path for Major Urban Regeneration
The measure, which now awaits final approval from the Capitoline Assembly, greenlights the regeneration project for the facility with an urban planning variant. This unblocks a strategic work of high public interest, concluding a design process initiated by Sport e Salute together with the Ministry of Culture, the Lazio Region, CONI, and the Campidoglio.
Key Features of the Redevelopment Project
The redevelopment plan includes several significant enhancements:
- Increased Seating Capacity: The stadium will see an increase in seating to 12,500, with an even higher overall capacity depending on its various functionalities.
- Panoramic Terraces: Four new panoramic terraces overlooking the Tiber River and the Park will be added, totaling 2,000 square meters.
- Glass Diaphragm: A glazed diaphragm will be installed, designed to interact with the surrounding landscape.
- Retractable Roof: A 6,500 square meter fixed roof and a 1,700 square meter mobile roof will be installed, transforming the facility into a multi-functional structure active throughout the year.
Special attention has been given to accessibility. Thanks to four new panoramic elevators and metallic staircases, access and egress routes will be faster, safer, and fully accessible to all visitors. The redevelopment plan also includes a significant increase in parking spaces, with a new ground-level parking area between Viale dei Gladiatori and Via Roberto Morra. These interventions are part of a broader plan for the “monumental and landscape arrangement” of the external spaces, aiming to harmonize the ‘Centrale’ with the rest of the complex.
Mayoral and Councillor Statements
Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri expressed his satisfaction with the approval, stating, “Investing in urban regeneration means contributing to the development and improvement of the quality of life in the city. The project provides for a comprehensive and significant redevelopment, including a mobile roof, necessary to ensure the use of the Stadium throughout the year and to expand its possibilities for use for events other than those for which it is known worldwide. The intervention enhances an urban heritage of great importance and improves the quality of spaces available to citizens. It is an important project that helps strengthen the sporting and public function of a strategic quadrant of the city.”
Maurizio Veloccia, Councillor for Urban Planning of Rome Capitale, added, “The enhancement of this facility constitutes a great lever for urban regeneration because it allows the city to be equipped with a more modern, functional, and sustainable structure, while simultaneously redeveloping the surrounding urban space. From this point of view, I thank Sport e Salute for the synergistic collaboration that allowed our Department to participate in the international competition for the project and which continued through the technical and approval phases. The ‘Centrale’ is part of a broader strategy that aims to transform sports facilities into spaces for aggregation and economic and social development. I am thinking of the new AS Roma stadium or the City of Sport in Tor Vergata: interventions where sport constitutes the core of an action aimed at making the city more modern and attractive. Moreover, the monumental complex is part of a quadrant that, with the recovery of the former barracks in Via Guido Reni, the Science Museum, the new Auditorium Sagrato, and the Tramway project, is a protagonist of an important season of urban transformation that will now be enriched by this further piece.”
Vision for a Year-Round Multi-functional Hub
Marco Mezzaroma, President of Sport e Salute, emphasized the transformative potential of the project. “The new ‘Centrale’ will distinctively characterize the entire Foro Italico, in full respect of its history, context, and the architectural vision that guided the birth and evolution of the area. It is not a facility that will only serve sports, but it will be a place for the city, 365 days a year, capable of generating attractiveness and economic benefits.”
Diego Nepi Molineris, CEO of Sport e Salute, further elaborated on the objectives. “The project of the new ‘Centrale’ at Foro Italico was born with a clear objective: to transform a facility currently used only a few weeks a year into a vibrant, active, and sustainable structure every day. We want to expand the use of spaces, attract international investors, and enhance the architectural quality of the structures, redeveloping a unique park in the world where art, culture, landscape, and sport harmoniously coexist. We will create a modern, versatile, flexible, and covered arena, designed to host not only major sporting events but also concerts, shows, and international events across the board, contributing to attracting tourism, generating value and economic benefits. The interventions will involve the entire Foro Italico, enhancing connections, services, and accessibility to create an integrated and contemporary hub, also in line with urban mobility projects. We will invest in technology and energy efficiency to reduce costs, increase safety, and offer advanced digital and multimedia services.”
This redevelopment is part of a broader urban renewal effort in Rome, aiming to create modern, sustainable, and attractive public spaces for both residents and visitors.
Source: https://roma.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/26_marzo_28/centrale-del-foro-italico-roma-via-libera-alla-riqualificazione-diventera-uno-spazio-polifunzionale-da-12-500-posti-55c2cdb0-73a0-4594-9302-fba5db13fxlk.shtml
