Nuovo Stadio Roma – design description

How did plans for AS Roma's new stadium in Pietralata come about?

Why does AS Roma need a new stadium?

AS Roma football club was founded in 1927 as a result of the merger of three teams: Alba, Roman and Fortitudo. The team is one of the two main teams from Rome (along with SS Lazio) and ranks among the strongest and most recognizable football clubs in Italy, although it is less successful than the leading clubs from the north of the country. Since 1953, along with SS Lazio, the team has played its matches at the Stadio Olimpico.

With a capacity of more than 70,000 spectators, Stadio Olimpico is the second largest stadium in Italy (after San Siro in Milan). On a day-to-day basis, it's too high a capacity for AS Roma's needs; moreover, the facility offers too few commercial opportunities, and has an athletics track that puts the stands far from the pitch.

What were the previous concepts for AS Roma's new stadium?

"Megastadium" in Magliana Vecchia

The first serious attempt to move out of the Stadio Olimpico and build a new stadium took place in the 1980s. On January 19, 1987, then AS Roma president Dino Viola unveiled an ambitious project to build a new "megastadium" that would stand in Magliana Vecchia, in the southwestern suburbs, and would accommodate more than 100,000 spectators.

The project was an alternative to rebuilding Stadio Olimpico before the 1990 World Cup, but in the end Rome just decided to upgrade the old Stadio Olimpico, where AS Roma remained for decades to come.

Stadio Franco Sensi in Massimina

The issue of building a new stadium for AS Roma returned in the 21st century. On September 29, 2009, the Stadio Franco Sensi project, named after the club's president, who died in 2008, was unveiled. The facility was to stand in the western district of Massimina and accommodate 55,000 spectators, and was designed by the GAU Arena studio, which had worked on plans for Juventus' new stadium. The project ultimately did not live to see completion due to financial problems.

Stadio della Roma in Tor di Valle

In 2011, American investors became the owners of AS Roma, and in 2012 Boston-based businessman James Pallotta became the club's president and became heavily involved in the issue of building a new stadium. On December 30, 2012, it was announced that AS Roma's new facility would be built on the site of the old horse racing track in Tor di Valle, in the southwestern part of the city.

On March 26, 2014, a design for a new stadium to be built in Tor di Valle was unveiled. The concept, known as Stadio della Roma, was prepared by the American firm MEIS Architects. The design looked very interesting, and included references to Rome's Colosseum, a membrane canopy and the Curva Sud, separated from the rest of the stands.

Work on the realization of the Stadio della Roma was supposed to start back in 2014 and be completed after two years. However, numerous bureaucratic problems got in the way, and the start of construction was postponed for years to come. In 2020, Pallotta sold the club to another American investor, Dan Friedkin and his Friedkin Group.

AS Roma's new president, Dan Friedkin, was also committed to building a new stadium. However, as the Stadio della Roma project continued to be blocked by various procedures, and the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, the club announced on February 26, 2021 that it was abandoning the ambitious concept from MEIS Architects, which had been pushed through since 2014, due to excessive costs and generally unfavorable economic conditions.

When was it decided that AS Roma's new stadium should be built in Pietralata?

Dan Friedkin, however, continued to push for the construction of a new stadium, and while a location in Tor di Valle had not yet been definitively ruled out, the search for another site for the project began. On July 7, 2022, the club jointly announced with the city that the new stadium would be built in the Pietralata neighborhood.

What are the characteristics of the plot of land chosen for AS Roma's new stadium?

The area in Pietralata that was selected for the construction of AS Roma's new stadium is located near the Roma Tiburtina train station (the second largest station in Rome), in the eastern part of the city. The area had previously been earmarked for a section of a major development known as the Sistema Direzionale Orientale (SDO).

The SDO was a project planned since the 1950s for the construction of a new thoroughfare that would run from north to south in Rome, mainly in the eastern areas of the city. Business centers were also planned along the artery – one of which was to be built in Pietralata. After the demise of the SDO project, it was intended to create a park at the site, although it too did not live to see fruition.

The site, belonging to the city, became a wasteland overgrown with wild vegetation. Archaeological work carried out so far has revealed the remains of ancient buildings, including a villa, as well as a cistern from the 2nd century AD, which is located in front of the planned north stand of the future stadium.

What developments have taken place regarding the construction of AS Roma's new stadium in Pietralata?

After it was announced that a new stadium would be built in Pietralata, a feasibility study was commissioned, which was handled by GAU Arena studio. The results of the study were presented on October 3, 2022. According to GAU Arena, the optimal plan was to build a stadium for nearly 62,000 spectators. The assumed cost exceeded half a billion euros.

In November 2022, the renowned architectural studio Populous was selected to draw up the final concept for the new stadium. At the beginning of 2023, the plan gained the approval of local authorities and received the status of a project of public importance. The land (16 hectares in total) was to be leased to the club for a period of 90 years.

In September 2023, it was reported that well-known American financial institutions, Bank of America and JPMorgan, would be involved in financing the investment.

In the second half of 2023, consultations were held with residents. Some residents oppose the construction of the stadium, arguing, among other things, that the site should be used as a park. Opponents of the construction have even formed their own committee. In March 2024, new archaeological work began on the site, and in April the first finds were reported.

When were renderings of AS Roma's new stadium in Pietralata presented?

On July 24, 2024, there was a meeting between club executives and Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri, after which AS Roma made public a video showing the first renderings of the new stadium in Pietralata, prepared by Populous.

When will AS Roma's new stadium in Pietralata be built?

The club hopes to begin construction in late 2025 and open the new stadium in 2027, in time for the club's centennial. The investment is estimated to cost €960 million.

What could get in the way of building a new stadium in Pietralata?

A number of factors could stand in the way of the investment, such as the bureaucratic issues that effectively blocked previous plans to build AS Roma's stadium in Tor di Valle. Some residents are protesting against the stadium's construction, and new archaeological finds could also prove to be a problem.

What will AS Roma's new stadium in Pietralata be like?

The stadium is expected to draw on the architecture of ancient Rome. Its exterior facade will be formed by vertical slats and pillars. Inside, the stands will be able to accommodate 60,000 spectators, and a unique feature will be the new single-tier Curva Sud. The facility will be equipped with the latest technology and is expected to draw on the club's history and traditions on the one hand, and on the other, to be a symbol of modernity and innovation, as well as sustainability.