Stadio Luigi Ferraris – design description

What is, in short, the renovation project of Stadio Luigi Ferraris by Stefano Boeri Architetti?

The final trigger for the plans to modernise Stadio Luigi Ferraris was the ambition to host matches of Euro 2032. Initially, the city began cooperation with the clubs – Genoa CFC and UC Sampdoria – and an initial concept was prepared by architect Hembert Peñaranda.

However, in October 2024, an alternative proposal was presented by CDS Holding, which submitted its own bid to purchase the stadium and unveiled a different redevelopment concept designed by architect Stefano Boeri.

The Boeri plan featured a redesigned main stand, with an original roof (featuring circular cut-outs) extending far beyond its footprint to cover a large square that was intended to replace the existing car parks.

CDS Holding initially reached an agreement with the clubs, but after a change in the office of the mayor, the city ruled out the possibility of selling the stadium, proposing instead a long-term lease.

As a result, the cooperation plan with CDS Holding, which was based on the purchase of the stadium, collapsed. The main responsibility for the investment returned to the clubs, and the project designed by Hembert Peñaranda was reinstated.

What does Stadio Luigi Ferraris look like?

Stadio Luigi Ferraris was inaugurated in 1911 and is considered the oldest still-operating stadium in Italy. The current form of the venue dates back to a complete reconstruction carried out ahead of the 1990 World Cup, based on a design by Vittorio Gregotti.

The stadium is characterised by its distinctive silhouette, with no corner stands but four towers as its defining architectural feature. It has a capacity of over 33,000 spectators and is shared by two major Genoese clubs, Genoa CFC and UC Sampdoria.

How did the first plans for the redevelopment of Stadio Luigi Ferraris come about?

The need to modernise Stadio Luigi Ferraris had been discussed for some time, but concrete steps were only taken in connection with the possibility of hosting matches of Euro 2032.

After the city began cooperation with the clubs, architect Hembert Peñaranda and his studio Officina Architetti were commissioned at the beginning of 2023 to prepare redevelopment plans for the stadium.

When did the redevelopment vision by Stefano Boeri Architetti emerge?

In October 2024, a private company, CDS Holding, put forward an alternative initiative, submitting its own offer to purchase the stadium from the city and presenting an initial redevelopment concept designed by architect Stefano Boeri.

What did the Stefano Boeri Architetti redevelopment plan include?

The early visualisations highlighted a redesigned main stand, which was to receive a completely new external appearance. The building was to feature a modern glass facade, meaning that the historic frontage, preserved during the last reconstruction in the 1990s, would have been removed or hidden.

A distinctive element of the concept was an additional section of roof extending far beyond the building’s footprint to cover a large part of the square in front of the main stand. The roof was designed with three relatively large circular cut-outs.

Interestingly, Stefano Boeri had already worked in 2006–2007 on a concept for a stadium in Genoa planned at a different location. That project also included a vision for a new shopping center, whose roof featured similar circular openings.

The public square planned in front of the main stand of Stadio Luigi Ferraris would itself have represented a major change. Previously, a street ran in front of the stand facade, while the remaining area – a platform built above the Bisagno riverbed – was occupied by parking lots.

Why was the Stadio Luigi Ferraris redevelopment project by Stefano Boeri Architetti abandoned?

At the beginning of 2025, CDS Holding reached an agreement with the clubs in order to jointly continue the project development. However, a shift followed – in May 2025, Silvia Salis was elected mayor of Genua and announced that the city would not sell Stadio Luigi Ferraris. In September 2025, a new plan was presented, according to which the stadium would instead be leased to the clubs for a period of 99 years.

As a result, the cooperation scheme with CDS Holding, which had envisaged the purchase of the stadium for €14.5 million, collapsed. Responsibility for the lease and redevelopment of the stadium returned to a company named Genova Stadium, established by the clubs UC Sampdoria and Genoa CFC. At the same time, cooperation resumed with the author of the original architectural concept, Hembert Peñaranda.

The redevelopment project of Stadio Luigi Ferraris by Hembert Peñaranda (Officina Architetti) can be viewed on a separate subpage