Stadio delle Alpi

Stadio delle Alpi

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Location : Turin, Italy
Coordinates : 45° 6′ 34.42″ N, 7° 38′ 28.54″ E
Broke ground: 1988
Opened : 1990
Closed : 2006
Demolished : 2008/09
Owner : Juventus F.C.
Surface : Grass
Architect : Studio Hutter
Capacity : 69,000
Field dimensions : 105 m × 68 m
Tenants : Torino F.C. (Serie A) (1990-2006)
Juventus F.C. (Serie A) (1990-2006)

The Stadio delle Alpi was a football and athletics stadium in Turin, Italy, and
was the home of both Juventus and Torino between 1990 and 2006. In English
the   name means   “Stadium of the Alps”,   a reference to the  nearby   mountain
range.  Currently,  the stadium is   being  demolished,  with both football clubs
playing their home fixtures at the rebuilt Stadio Olimpico. It is in the process
of being demolished to make way for a new stadium due to be opened in 2011.

Designed by architect Studio Hutter, the delle Alpi was originally built in 1990
to host matches for the 1990 World Cup, as a replacement for the ageing Stadio
Comunale, the   then name of today’s   Stadio  Olimpico. The stadium’s original
capacity was 69,041 fans, however due to FIFA rules regarding the segregation
of  home and away supporters, the actual capacity is reduced to 67,229.

History

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Construction on the stadium began in June 1988, and due to the use of pre-
fabricated concrete, was complete within two years. The delle Alpi was built by
the council of Turin, with both of the city’s football clubs using it as their home
ground following the closure of the Stadio Olimpico. It was originally intended
to be used for not only football, but also athletics, therefore an athletics track
was constructed around the outside of the pitch. However, due to the lack of a
warm up track, the stadium has never been used for a major athletics event.

The stadium was inaugurated on 31 May 1990 when a joint Juventus-Torino
team defeated an F.C. Porto side 4-3. Due to escalating rental costs, disputes
arose between the clubs and the city council. In 1994, the Juventus board in
vestigated building a new stadium, which would be owned by the club. The
UEFA Cup semi-final and final matches in 1994-1995 were moved by Juventus
to the San Siro, Milan, attracting audiences of 85,000. The Stadio delle Alpi has
very   rarely   been   sold out in its history.   Finally,  in the   summer  of 2003,
Juventus bought the delle Alpi from the council of Turin for a fee of around
€25million.

Attendance

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The   stadium   attendance record is   66 299,   set during  a   UEFA  Champions
League semifinal (second leg) between Juventus and Real Madrid on 14 May,
2003.   During the  1990  World Cup,   the  stadium hosted   (among others) a
memorable second round  match between  Argentina and Brazil, plus a  semi-
final between Germany and England, both matches attracting around 60,000
fans.

The  Delle Alpi’s  design was been   widely   criticised due to the poor visibility
caused by the distance between the stands and the pitch. This is because of the
athletics track which was constructed around the outside of the pitch. Views
from the lower tier were also  restricted  due to the positioning  of  advertising
hoardings. The stadium’s location on the outskirts of town never found favour
with fans, and the stadium design leaves spectators exposed to the elements.
These   factors   have   contributed to low  attendances;   in the 2005/6 season,
Juventus’ average attendance was 35,880.

The poor visibility has led to extraordinarily low attendances. For example, in
the Coppa   Italia   home match against   Sampdoria  in the 2001-2002 season,
only 237 spectators showed up.

Proposed redevelopment

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The  Delle  Alpi  is currently being   demolished with plans for a   40,000-seater
venue and a number of restaurants and other facilities outside the ground. The
new   grounds  of the  stadium   is  expected   to cover  around  50,000   square
metres. The stadium will be completely demolished by February 2009.

The running track, which was widely blamed for ruining the atmosphere in the
stadium, will be removed with the fans moved closer to the action.

The   addition of  this   oval ring and set of   V.I.P   boxes   protected   with glass
facades will   characterize  the new inner space.  A  movable roof will cover the
new seats and underground services will integrate the complex.

This work will be  followed  by the construction of a big   commercial   pavilion,
down as one quarter segment of the stadium. A new Juventus training centre
will also be built next to the stadium; this open area will be characterized by
artificial hills placed between soccer fields containing dressing rooms and un-
derground parking; a set of light buildings for gymnasium, restaurant, hotel
will complete the system.

Work started started in late November and, once again, it is hoped that the
construction will be completed prior to the 2011/12 season. Until then,
Juventus will continue to play their home matches at the Olimpico in Torino.

Thank You For DATA And Image : http://en.wikipedia.org