Evolution of Stadium Design
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Evolution of Stadium Design by Erika Yaroni Bachelor of Engineering Stevens Institute of Technology, 2011 Submitted to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ENGINEERING in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY !d A JUNE 2012 ARCHIVES © 2012 Erika Yaroni. All Rights Reserved The author hereby grants to MIT permission to reproduce and to distribute publicly paper and electronic copies of this thesis document in whole or in part in any medium now known or hereafter created. / A Author: Department of Civil and Elironmental Engineering SMay 11, 2012 Certified by: Jerome J. Connor Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering )lesis Supervjsor Accepted by: 6'igM epf Chair, Departmental Committee for Graduate Stu nts Evolution of Stadium Design by Erika Yaroni Submitted to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering on May 11, 2012 in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Engineering in Civil and Environmental Engineering ABSTRACT Stadiums are more than just facilities for organized sport; they offer a gathering site for people with shared interest, provide economic benefits to the surrounding community, and most importantly represent the advancements in architecture and engineering. When stadiums were first developed, their main focus was to provide enclosure for athletes' play and little attention was given to spectators. Most Greek and Roman athletic facilities are guilty of this. While the general geometry of stadiums remains the same today, the structure itself has changed tremendously. As this thesis will point out, there is a multitude of structural systems that have been employed in the design of stadiums. As very big structures attracting a lot of attention, stadiums require good architecture. Designers have not been shy about attacking this problem head on resulting in an abundance of spectacularly designed and built stadiums, many with their own unique features. After introducing significant design constraints and possible design solutions, this thesis will present a handful of case studies. Stadiums from across America and Europe will be discussed in varying detail in the hopes of opening the reader's eyes to the advancements in stadium design. Upon reading this thesis, readers should gain knowledge on the growth of stadium development and hopefully an understanding of where stadium design will go in the future. Thesis Supervisor: Jerome J. Connor Title: Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to thank my parents for their unyielding support throughout my life and for always believing in me. Thank you for acknowledging how hard I've worked and I want you to know that I would not be here without you. I am grateful for the strong passion for learning you have instilled upon me. I hope I've made you proud. I also want to thank my siblings, Justin and Julie. You guys have been a great support system and I am so grateful for everything you have done for me. I want to thank Professor Jerome J. Connor and Pierre Ghisbain for their guidance and support throughout the year. Lastly, I would like to thank all my fellow classmates in the MEng Class of 2012. Room 1-143 would not have been the same without you all. Good luck in the future and I hope our paths will cross again. 5 Table of Contents Introduction ....................................................................................................... 13 T he O rigination of Stadium s............................................................................ 15 1. Introduction........................................................................................................................ 15 2. Greece ................................................................................................................................ 15 3. Rom e .................................................................................................................................. 17 3.1. A m phitheaters............................................................................................................. 17 3.2. Circuses ...................................................................................................................... 18 3.3. Rom an Concrete ...................................................................................................... 19 3.4. Colosseum .................................................................................................................. 21 Stadiums in the 5 th 1 9 th Century..................................................................... 25 1. Introduction........................................................................................................................ 25 2. M iddle A ges....................................................................................................................... 25 3. Renaissance........................................................................................................................25 4. 4.1th1 9t Century........................... ............................................................ 262 The Rebirth of the Olympic Games ................................................................ 27 1. Introduction........................................................................................................................ 27 2. The First O fficial Olym pic Stadium ............................................................................... 27 3. Stadium s Experience Change ........................................................................................ 28 4. Noteworthy Olympic Stadiums of the 20th Century..........................28 4.1. 1960 Rom e.................................................................................................................. 29 4.2. 1964 Tokyo................................................................................................................. 29 4.3. 1972 M unich............................................................................................................... 30 5. A fterlife of Olym pic Stadium s....................................................................................... 31 Stadium U ses .......................................................................................................... 33 1. Introduction........................................................................................................................ 33 2. Playing Surfaces................................................................................................................. 33 2.1. N atural Grass Surfaces ........................................................................................... 34 2.2. Artificial Surfaces..................................................................................................... 35 3. Field Layouts ..................................................................................................................... 36 4. M ulti-U se ........................................................................................................................... 36 7 Controlling Factors in Stadium D esign ............................................................... 39 1. Introduction........................................................................................................................ 39 2. The Spectators.................................................................................................................... 39 2.1. Types of Spectators ................................................................................................. 39 2.2. Viewing Distances .................................................................................................... 40 2.3. Corners........................................................................................................................ 42 2.4. Sightlines .................................................................................................................... 42 3. The Athlete......................................................................................................................... 44 4. The Owner ......................................................................................................................... 45 4.1. Gate Incom e................................................................................................................ 45 4.2. Non-Gate Incom e ................................................................................................... 45 5. Bringing the Factors Together ........................................................................................ 46 D esign C onsiderations ....................................................................................... 47 1. Introduction........................................................................................................................ 47 2. Limits to the Exterior...................................................................................................... 47 3. Choosing a Dom inant Elem ent ...................................................................................... 48 4. Structural M aterial ............................................................................................................. 50 4.1. Concrete.....................................................................................................................