Estádio Urbano Caldeira – design description

Stadium is no theatre? The architectural team of Luiz Volpato dares to disagree. Because Santos FC is famous for producing artistic talents like Pelé or Neymar Jr, football games are to become real theatrical feasts for those in attendance. Thus the fully enclosed shell and auditorium towering over the field to keep everyone close to the action.

Of course, that’s only the metaphorical interpretation. In practical terms, such layout was forced by extreme spatial constraints. The famous Estádio Urbano Caldeira occupies just 18,000 m² in a densely populated area (of which, let’s not forget, the field is 10,000 m²). This meant the only way to expand is up, as well as using the irregular shape of the plot.

The single plot has to cater for sporting needs, commercial and parking demand. It resulted in a 54-meter-tall stadium (equal to 18 floors!), despite the overall capacity just slightly exceeding 25,000 (up to 40,000 for concerts). This scale allowed to create 11,200 m² of commercial spaces, including 54 retail location on ground and third levels. The field lies only on the fourth level, on top of parking (900 places), administrative, commercial and leisure areas.

The total floor space of the stadium is to reach 89,000 m², which is usually the scale of stadiums with far bigger capacity. Meanwhile, we’re talking of only 22,000 regular seats (17,739 on lower tier, 4,266 on the second one), topped by a ring of 80 boxes (1,060 seats) and a semi-open level for VIP visitors (1,348 seats). Finally, the top level is dedicated to leisure and wellness, including a viewing deck and even a running/cycling track around the entire stadium.

The entire stadium would be wrapped in white carbon fibre mesh, ensuring natural ventilation. This is necessary particularly because the roof will be a complete dome. Largely opaque, the roof will have a significant oculus to supply natural light, with a panoramic giant screen beneath.

Project delays and skyrocketing costs prompted changes in the design. One of the most visible interferences was the abandonment of the full covering of the facility. On the other hand, the capacity of the stands was increased, from more than 25,000 to over 30,000 spectators.