The Identity and Spectacle of Sport As a Modern Piazza

The Identity and Spectacle of Sport as a Modern Piazza

A thesis submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Cincinnati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Master of Architecture

in the department of Architecture of the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning by

Mackenzie M Grause

Bachelor of Science in Architecture University of Cincinnati May 2015

Committee Chair: M. McInturf, M.Arch. Committee Member: A. Kanekar, Ph.D.

Abstract

Sports have always been and always will be a significant part of our every day lives. This thesis contends that in order to continue to serve the community and cities in which the stadia are located, they must be designed as a modern day piazza. Historically, the Mesoamerican civilizations as well as the Ancient Greeks and Romans, treated their athletic facilities and buildings with such significance that they placed these facilities in the city center. This thesis argues that today these sporting facilities also serve the community the same way the Italian piazza serves communities. Major stadium facilities such as Detroit’s new professional hockey and basketball arena, the proposal for AC Milan’s soccer stadium, and the London Olympic stadium, all represent a sporting venue that effectively engages the community. They also serve as a polyfunctional spaces that can be used by many different clients at varying times. In doing so, these stadia have the ability to transform and completely rejuvenate areas of cities. This thesis contends that past, present, and future stadia are all examples of a piazza through their symbolic nature, social function, focal point of the community, and center of daily life. Much like the Stadium of Domitian at its inception was a sporting facility, but over time, there was a natural progression towards the piazza, it exemplifies the close connection between a stadium and a piazza and makes the case that the stadium is a modern day piazza that transforms the core urban fabric of a place into a space. By developing the FC Cincinnati Stadium in the dilapidated west end of Newport, Kentucky, the stadium centered design exemplifies the necessity of the correlation between the piazza and the stadium.

iii Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ...... 1 SPORTS IN MESOAMERICA ...... 2 SPORTS IN ANCIENT GREECE ...... 4 SPORTS IN ANCIENT ROME ...... 6 MODERN DAY SPORTING PIAZZAS ...... 8 AC MILAN STADIUM PROPOSAL ...... 10 LITTLE CAESARS ARENA ...... 12 LONDON OLYMPIC STADIUM ...... 14 NANJING SPORTS PARK ...... 15 FUTURE USE OF STADIUMS ...... 18 FC CINCINNATI IN THE MLS ...... 19 CONCLUSION ...... 24 WORKS CITED ...... 26

iv List of Tables/Figures

Figure 1 : Ballgame Court Figure 2 : Greek Athletic Site Plan Figure 3 : The Roman Colosseum Figure 4 : Piazza San Marco Figure 5 : AC Milan Proposed Stadium Figure 6 : Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena Figure 7 : London Olympic Stadium Figure 8 : Nanjing Sports Complex Figure 9 : Stadium of Domitian Figure 10 : Mapping of Professionalism (Personal Graphic) Figure 11 : Zip Codes of Ticket Buyers (Personal Graphic) Figure 12 : Locations of Potential Sites (Personal Graphic) Figure 13 : Building Types of Newport, Kentucky Site (Personal Graphic)

v Introduction The inception of sports has shaped the world that the shear identity of a community is created by the spectacle of sports itself. Dating back to 2500 BC1, sports have been bringing people together, tearing them apart, and in a more modern application, creating a sense of community, both nationally and internationally. (Cartwright). They develop a brand and thus, create an identity that becomes a part of the region in which the team resides. With that identity comes a strong sense of pride. Whether that is with a hometown team at the high school, collegiate, or professional level, when a sports team or franchise succeeds, that town and its people flourish. The identity is defined by the physical aspect of the stadium. Rob Sheard, a founder and senior principal at Populous stated, “a stadium, more than any other building type in history, has the ability to shape a town or city. A stadium is able to put a community on the map, establishing an identity and providing a focal point in the landscape,” 2(Sheard & Rod). Dating back to ancient times, sporting events were held in well defined, formal arrangements. Whether that was the ball game courts from early Mesoamerica, the Greek sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia, or the Roman Colosseum, all of these sporting events took place in a stadium. Although these ancient stadia are very different pieces of architecture than what we consider stadia today, the underlying characteristic remains consistent to these today. These places, though of sport, also serve the community in a similar manner to the Italian piazza. A piazza is defined as “an open square especially in an Italian town,” 3(Merriam-Webster). Past, present, and future stadia

1 Cartwright, Mark, The Ball Game of Mesoamerica, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 2014, 2 Sheard, Rod, The Stadium Architecture for the New Global Culture (Periplus, 2005). 3 Merriam-Webster, Piazza, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/piazza are all examples of this piazza through their symbolic nature, social function, focal point of the community, and center of daily life. The stadium, therefore, is a modern day piazza that transforms the core urban fabric of a place into a space, because “where the crowds gather history is made,” 4(Sheard & Rod).

Sports in Mesoamerica In as early as 2500 BC, humans have been playing sports. Generally, these sports all stem from a religious background and origin that honored the gods in which the civilizations believed and were held to show their respects. “The sport known simply as the

Ball Game was popular across Mesoamerica and played by all the major civilizations from the Olmecs to the Aztecs,” 5 (Cartwright). Much like today’s sporting facilities, “the impressive stone courts became a staple feature of a city’s sacred complex and there were often several playing courts in a single city,” 6(Cartwright). Religion and a source of entertainment were two of the reasons why this civilization played Ball Game. Additionally, this game related to their strong relationship to the sun. According to the Metropolitan

Museum of Art:

The movement of the ball across the court is analogous to the movement of the sun across the sky. The ballgame represents a battle between day and night, when the sun must pass through the Underworld before riding again at dawn. Closely connected to this idea is the theme of agricultural fertility; this is ensured through the movement of celestial bodies, which create seasons and rainfall. Ballcourts were also thought of as connections to the Underworld. The ballgame

4 Sheard, The Stadium Architecture for the New Global Culture 5 Cartwright, Mark, The Ball Game of Mesoamerica, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 2014, https://www.ancient.eu/article/604/the-ball-game-of-mesoamerica/. 6 Cartwright, The Ball Game of Mesoamerica.

2 was the setting for mythological battles between the forces of life and death. (Earley). 7

In connection with this game’s relationship to the Earth, the ballgame required a stadium. Due to its popularity, there were more than 1,500 ballcourts in Mesoamerica

(Earley). 8The Epiclassic city of Cantona has an incredible 24 courts with at least 18 being contemporary. “El Tajín also has a remarkable number of courts (at least 11)” and it was considered “a sacred center for the sport, much like Olympia for athletics in ancient

Greece,” (Cartwright). 9The playing fields for this game had a similar set up to present settings for sports. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, “the central playing field is flanked by two long and thin rectangular buildings, which may have served as stands or viewing areas,” 10(Earley). Much like stadiums today, these ballgame courts “were often placed in the ceremonial center of ancient sites, close to important temples and funerary shrines” 11(Earley). Because the ball courts were placed in the center of ancient sites and close to temples and shrines, this demonstrates the monumental importance that sports had on this society. Along with the artifacts that were left behind, these courts also became a part of the identity and the history of the civilization that is carried on today. The

Mesoamerican societies were not alone in their fixation with their sporting events. The

Greeks created a tradition that still exists today.

7 Earley, Caitlin, The Mesoamerican Ballgame, The Met’s Hilbrunn Timeline of Art History, https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/mball/hd_mball.htm 8 Earley, The Mesoamerican Ballgame. 9 Cartwright, The Ball Game of Mesoamerica. 10 Earley, The Mesoamerican Ballgame. 11Earley, The Mesoamerican Ballgame

3 Sports in Ancient Greece In addition to the Mesoamerica civilizations playing Ballgame, in 776 BC, the ancient Greek Olympic games began, which continue to transform our society today, 12 (Cartwright). Originally, these Figure 1 : Ballgame Court https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/149/345773261_1eb5d games were started as a part of a religious dc653_z.jpg?zz=1 ceremony dedicated to Zeus. Every athlete who competed was a Greek speaking male who shared the same religious beliefs. “The great festival of the god Zeus seems to have provided Greeks from distant colonies with the opportunity to maintain close contact with their homeland,” 13(Olympia). It allowed these athletes and other people to meet every four years and physically bridge the gap between other geographic areas. The winners of these events were lavishly garnished with prizes and were given ample compensation for winning events. Such prizes included a free meal a day for the rest of their lives or 500 dracmai, which was described as a “literal fortune” 14(Penn).

12 Cartwright, The Ball Game of Mesoamerica. 13 Olympia and the Olympic Games, http://www.olympia-greece.org/history.html 14 The Penn Museum, Penn Museum, www.penn.museum/sites/olympics/olympicathletes.shtml

4 The organization and layout of the ancient Greek Olympic games is similarly connected to the present Olympic games.

They had a large complex where the events took place. This is also similar to the

Mesoamerican town of el Tajín that had a complex of at least eleven courts. The first event that occurred at the ancient Olympic

games was the foot-race called the Figure 2 : Greek Site Plan http://www.odysseyadventures.ca/articles/olympia/art stadion. This ‘stadion’ had vast icleolympia.htm importance this is demonstrated by the fact that the finish line was at the Altar of Zeus,

15(Olympia). As depicted in the image above, as additional sporting events were added to the games, additional stadiums were erected. The Palaistra was added as a training area for the athletes who competed in boxing, jumping, and wrestling. The Palaistra connected to the Gymnasion where the competition actually took place. The hippodromos was where the horse and chariot races occurred. These games were created as a part of a religious ceremony in dedication to Zeus. They felt that these sporting events were held in such high regard that they were fit for the gods. Another part that demonstrates the importance of these sports is the locations of the stadiums and other athletic buildings. They were situated around shrines and other religious ceremonial places. These athletic buildings became a strong part of the Greek’s religious practices because of their close proximity to

15 Olympia and the Olympic Games, https://www.penn.museum/sites/olympics/olympicorigins.shtml

5 their religious buildings. Because these buildings are now closely related to their religious buildings, they eventually became a part of their every day life.

Sports in Ancient Rome Another ancient civilization that admired their sports was the Romans. Unlike the ancient Greeks and the Mesoamerican civilizations, the Romans held sporting events in the

Colosseum for entertainment purposes. It also “demonstrated the wealth and generosity of the Emperor and provided an opportunity for ordinary people to actually see their ruler in person,”

(Cartwright). 16 Depending on the

Emperor at the time, there were upwards of ninety-three contests per Figure 3 : The Roman Colosseum https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Col year. These “spectacles often lasted osseum_in_Rome%2C_Italy_-_April_2007.jpg from dawn till nightfall and the gladiators usually kicked-off the show with a chariot procession and then dismounted and circled the arena, each saluting the emperor with the famous line: Ave, imperator, morituri te salutant! (Hail, Emperor, those who are about to die salute you!),” 17(Cartwright). While the Roman sporting events were not dedications to the gods, they were however, dedicated to the current Emperor. These events quenched the

Roman’s insatiable thirst for blood and gore, which is very different from previous sporting events.

16 Cartwright, Mark, Colosseum, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 2012, www.ancient.eu/Colosseum/ 17 Cartwright, Colosseum

6 Similarly to reasons why stadia are constructed today and piazzas in the past, the

Colosseum was built “in order to restore Rome to its former glory prior to the turmoil of the recent civil war,” 18(Cartwright) In order to exert their dominance, show that Rome was the center of the ancient world, and to bring a resurgence to Rome, Emperor Vespasian constructed the Temple of Peace, Sanctuary of Claudius, and the Colosseum. This coliseum was constructed out of locally obtained limestone with linking walls of concrete, brick, and volcanic stone, and its size dominated the city. 19(Cartwright). Specifically, there were around eighty entrances to the Colosseum. Seventy-six of these entrances were used for ticket sales and for the spectators to enter for the events. “Two entrances were used for the gladiators, one of which was known as the Porta Libitina (the Roman goddess of death) and was the door through which the dead were removed from the arena. The other door was the Porta Sanivivaria through which victors and those allowed to survive the contests left the arena. The final two doors were reserved exclusively for the Emperor’s use,”

20(Cartwright). This stadium was meticulously designed in order to meet its functions. It was specifically designed to serve the community and to provide the people with what they wanted. For example, below the gladiatorial floor is a series of chambers where animals, gladiators, prisoners, and guards anxiously awaited their fate. By building this stadium to this order of magnitude, it allowed for the Roman sports to be a spectacle, as well as continuing to bring over 6.5 million visitors to the Colosseum to this day. 21(Visiting the

Colosseum).

18 Cartwright, Colosseum 19 Cartwright, Colosseum 20 Cartwright, Colosseum 21 Visiting the Roman Colosseum, www.tribunesandtriumphs.org/colosseum/visiting-the- roman-colosseum.htm.

7 Modern Day Sporting Piazzas Similarly to the ancient sporting events such as the Mesoamerican ballgame, the ancient Greek Olympics, and the Roman Gladiator battles, today’s sporting events serve to bring the community together, offer a spectacle for the masses, and provide entertainment for everyone involved. Although they are not generally related to religion, they do however, contain similarities to the ancient ones, with their stadium as a central focal point, and by becoming a part of the citizens’ every day life. Present day sports serve purposes such as their entertainment value, as massive money makers, as job providers for both the athletes and general administration, and they also provide a fun, goal oriented profession for those who are inclined to this lifestyle and ability. Stadia have the opportunity to be a part of

everyday life in the twenty first

century just as the piazza was the

center of everyday life. For

Mesoamerica, ballgame was a

significant part of their life. The

Greeks created an entire event that is

still present today, centered around Figure 4 : Piazza San Marco https://fthmb.tqn.com/N_22qOkXJvv2TGl0CYrbaxZ8E- I=/3591x2312/filters:fill(auto,1)/atardecer-en-pizza-san- the games and the stadia, and the marco--venice--187413773-5975574caad52b0011778c5d.jpg - Piazza Romans created a magnificent piece of architecture that is still relevant today. The designs of stadia today are centered around the creation of communities, the revitalization of cities, but also serve as a polyfunctional architecture resembling the Italian piazza.

8 “They can be big or small, intimate or dramatic, humble, opulent, old, new and everything in between,” 22(Mussio). This specifically describes the Italian piazza (depicted left), but also accurately depicts the atmosphere of a stadium. These are only vague physical descriptions of a space. In order to fully make the comparison between the Italian piazza with the present and future of stadiums, there must be other comparisons. “Piazzas create a sense of place and perspective, fitting together like polychromatic pieces of a puzzle to create a total character unique to any specific city section and to the city as a whole,” 23(Fusch 424). For a stadium also creates a sense of place and perspective. A stadium is commonly known as an enclosed place for spectators to watch. By creating an architecture that holds a group of people with common interests and common goals it thus, exudes a sense of perspective. When using the following definition of perspective, “a true understanding of the relative importance of things,” 24 (Oxford Dictionary). it can be concluded that the true importance of a stadium is bringing fans together to experience the event with people whom share this common interest. These ‘polychromatic pieces of a puzzle’ are the fans and spectators of the event that in effect, ‘create a total character unique to any specific city section’ that also, in any situation, positively affects the city as a whole.

22 Mussio, Gina, Walks of Italy, 2016, https://www.walksofitaly.com/blog/all-around- italy/italian-piazzas 23 Fusch, Richard, The Piazza in Italian Urban Morphology, Geographical Review, (American Geographical Society 1994), 424-438. 24 Oxford Dictionary, https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/perspective

AC Milan Stadium Proposal Italian piazzas and stadia not only bring people together in a physical, enclosed sense from the architecture, but they also demonstrate how a single place can turn into a collection of spaces.

Specifically, “in areas beyond the oldest sections of the cities some piazzas are Figure 5 : AC Milan Proposed Stadium http://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/150204112212-006-ext- polyfunctional and resemble notte-r2-super-169.jpeg small cities unto themselves, as in a small village, where a central piazza serves as a retail, commercial, and governmental node, a center of religious and social activities, and a parking lot,” 25(Fusch). Polyfuncitonal describes what stadia strive to provide, a space that serves multiple functions, which is necessary for the viability of a place. The stadium not only needs to serve the purpose of providing a space for spectators, it also needs to serve

‘as a retail, commercial, and governmental node’. By having this polyfunctional space, it brings multiple groups and types of people to your ‘Sporting piazza’.

“Today, major sporting facilities are a mainstay of urban regeneration and their potential has been recognized. However, a stadium alone will not transform a blighted area, it must be part of an overall plan to attract commercial, retail and recreational activities; and, most importantly, people. “The stadium must integrate with a neighborhood, a district

25 Fusch, Richard, The Piazza in Italian Urban Morphology

10 or a city,” (Sheard & Rod 159). 26By adding other functionality to the space, it also allows for the stadium to be used by the majority of the community as well. It becomes a center of social activities, which is paralleling its predecessor, the piazza. The successful piazzas of the world were populated with people. These piazzas were little mini cities that developed in different areas. Similarly, according to leading stadium design architectural firm

Populous, “Stadiums in these cities served as a catalyst for change, resulting in collateral development that has ultimately transformed their downtowns,” 27 (Populous). By stimulating these areas and mini downtowns, it creates a place for the community to enjoy and populate. As shown in figure five, the future AC Milan stadium aims to blend the stadium in with the surroundings by also adding commercial and retail spaces around the perimeter of the stadium, very similar to the arrangement of a piazza. In the piazza, there was a center courtyard area where there were usually fountains, then surrounding the paved interior courtyard there were shops, markets, cathedrals, and other government buildings. Therefore, there was activity around the piazza (the interior courtyard) due to programmatic space around the perimeter. This, in result, created a space that could be used day and night.

In order to create a versatile space that can be used any time of day, there needs to be a polyfunctional program that has different types of events. When referencing a piazza, it is “an opening in the city fabric that allows public access and activity in various forms- walking, riding, driving, shopping, socializing, and playing,” (Fusch). 28The question then becomes, how can we further develop this description of a piazza into a present day

26 Sheard & Rod, The Stadium Architecture for the New Global Culture 27 Populous, Designing Legacy for London, Populous, 2016, https://populous.com/project/london-olympic-stadium-transformation/ 28 Fusch, Richard, The Piazza in Italian Urban Morphology

11 stadium. There are existing examples of successful stadiums that also serve as a new

“piazza” for that city.

Little Caesars Arena

The first example of a stadium that currently acts as a revitalizing city piazza is the new Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit had a dire need for a revitalization of its downtown core.

Stricken with poverty, violence, and more vacant than occupied buildings, Detroit decided they need a new arena for their Figure 6 : Detroit’s Arena http://media.clickondetroit.com/photo/2016/02/01/Red%20Wings%20arena%20He NHL team the Red nry%20Street%20Conceptual%20Rendering_1454349410328_2017748_ver1.0_1280_ 720.jpg

Wings and their NBA team the Pistons. This development is a part of a 50-block plan to revitalize Detroit’s depressing urban blight. “The arena launches a new era in Detroit professional sports where four teams, including the Tigers and Lions, play within four blocks of each other in downtown, a claim no other city in the U.S. can make,” (Anderson and Dudar). 29Detroit therefore created their own Olympic park. With rotating schedules and the necessity to use this area at different times, it will continue to keep this area occupied. “A clear trend in

29 Anderson, Elisha & Dudar, Hasan, Little Caesars Arena Opens to Fanfare, Excitement in Detroit, (Detroit Free Pess 2017), www.freep.com/story/money/business/michigan/2017/09/05/little-caesars-arena- opening-detroit/632868001/.

12 large sports developments around the world is the shared vision that sport and entertainment should be an essential part of the community. The infrastructure of our cities, whether existing or proposed, should be designed to allow the venues to be a part of everyday life. Stadia are, truly, buildings that can support a 24/7 approach to city life,”

(Sheard & Rod, 166). 30This is one of the reasons why this new arena in Detroit was designed to continue the user’s experience from the street into the arena. Thus, it allows the space to be used around the clock. The arena was also constructed three stories into the ground in order to keep the concourse of the arena on the ground plane. This allows for a smooth transition and ease of access from the exterior to the interior.

“The stadium is a complex planning tool. If it is used wisely, it can help a city grow, especially on barren sites. A great deal of regeneration in cities takes place in an understated unglamorous way, with people quietly moving into refurbished buildings. This is the type of city regeneration for which a sporting venue can act as a catalyst. This regeneration will occur increasingly, due to the ‘emotional’ acceptance of an area when it is used for sport. People see that area in a very different light. There is an ‘atmosphere’ created around a sporting event, which generates powerful and intense emotions. The emotional experience of attending and participating in a major sporting event is exhilarating. It is not just the event, there is an ‘afterglow’ and this illuminates the whole area,” (Sheard and Rod, 156).31

By creating this polyfunctional space, it allows the city of Detroit, to be rejuvenated.

Therefore, this is a positive example of a modern day sporting piazza. This development brings people together, contains commercial, retail, and other programmatically items, and

30 Sheard & Rod, The Stadium Architecture for the New Global Culture 31 Sheard & Rod, The Stadium Architecture for the New Global Culture

13 due to it enclosing the space in-between the exterior and interior, it creates interstitial spaces for people to gather. In addition, this development has revitalized this part of

Detroit and promotes future expansion opportunities.

London Olympic Stadium The second example of a present day stadium project that acts as a rejuvenating piazza is the London Olympic Stadium. The London Olympic Stadium was built for the 2012

Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games and broke ground in 2008. Completed in May of

2012, this stadium was designed and built to hold

80,000 spectators from all around the world. They chose a barren site in Stratford in the east end of London, an area that has been very run Figure 7 : London Olympic Stadium http://deskarati.com/wp- content/uploads/2012/01/2012-Olympic-Stadium.jpg down and crime ridden since

World War II. The city intentionally wanted to rejuvenate the East End, and bring life back to this area. In order to do this, they revamped the public transportation that would allow more people to get to the site in a more sustainable and convenient way. In the program, they added homes for people of the east end as well. They were successfully able to bring life to this area by means of a professional stadium that successfully served as the main

Olympic stadium and now currently serves as West Ham’s soccer stadium.

Knowing the temporary need for the London Olympic Stadium and capacity of

80,000 spectators, Populous went into this project knowing that this project also needed to

14 have a life after the Olympic Games. Their goal was to transform the stadium after the games to a minimum capacity of 25,000 people. According to Populous, “we did so with an ethos of ‘embracing the temporary’, in the knowledge that, post-Games, the stadium’s function would change and, as a result, the structure would need to change too. One of the main stipulations for the future use of the stadium was that it would retain its running track, whilst functioning as an economically sustainable multi-use venue,” 32(Populous).

They chose to do this because it creates a legacy for this stadium. It was once designed for a very specific event during a special, historical time. For the transition, Populous added an entire hospitality wing that can accommodate 3600 guests, 16 corporate boxes and four restaurants. They also updated the spectator facility that included the addition of food and drinks, and enhanced security features. The most important part of the transformation is the ability to accommodate different types of tenants and change the seating arrangements.

By creating the ability to transform this stadium to meet the community’s needs, it has secured the extended life of this stadium. In addition, this stadium has successfully rejuvenated the barren end of London by creating a new piazza for the community to use.

Nanjing Sports Park Another example of a successful athletic complex acting as a modern piazza is the

Nanjing Sports Park in Nanjing, China. This Olympic park by Populous, was specifically designed to be a park for the people. Because a public park space encompasses 35 percent of the sports facility, this was a deliberate action from the design team to create a ‘People’s

Place’ for the city of Nanjing. In regards to the design process, Populous stated “the sport buildings within the complex were designed concurrently which provided the opportunity

32 Populous, Designing Legacy for London, Populous, 2016, https://populous.com/project/london-olympic-stadium-transformation/

15 to create a central theme across all buildings and implement a range of design efficiencies for the complex,” 33(Populous). This was deliberately done in order to create a coherently designed piazza for the city of Nanjing. “The sports buildings are grouped closely together,

and are accessed by an

elevated podium

which separates the

sporting crowds from

the surrounding

parkland,” 34 (Sheard

Figure 8 : Nanjing sports complex https://populous.com/project/nanjing-sports- and Rod pg 180), park/ avoiding the issue that most parks have with security. By elevating the concourse, it allows people who are supposed to be in the Olympic park to be there, while also maintaining access for people who want to enjoy the public park. This allows the complex to be used for multiple reasons.

While a sporting event may not be going on, people can still use the public park that surrounds the athletic buildings. In addition to allowing continued access to the site, the

Nanjing Sports Park “has become the model for future sports park developments throughout China. The precinct, within a park setting, forms the centerpiece of a new downtown region, a catalyst of future urban development,” 35(Populous).

33 Populous, Designing Legacy for London, Populous, 2016, https://populous.com/project/london-olympic-stadium-transformation/ 34 Sheard & Rod, The Stadium Architecture for the New Global Culture 35 Populous, Designing Legacy for London, Populous, 2016, https://populous.com/project/london-olympic-stadium-transformation/

16 When discussing the design of a stadium acting as a piazza in an urban setting, one must consider the only striking difference. That difference lies in the level of control that the space has. In regard to an Italian piazza, there is no control of who has access to the space. The piazza is a public space for everyone. For a stadium, there needs to be a certain level of security as well as control because of safety, ticket sales, and the exclusivity of the events that take place in the stadium. Due to this limitation of control, it demonstrates why the Nanjing Sports Park is successful. The park is a multifunctional space that can be utilized by all members of the community. Thus, the Nanjing Sports Park is a clear precedent for the future development of the FC Cincinnati Stadium located in the dilapidated West End of Newport, Kentucky. By creating a revitalized downtown of

Newport centered around the design of the new stadium for FC Cincinnati, it will actively engage the community, while providing housing, retail, restaurants and hospitality to the people in the greater Cincinnati area.

The Little Caesars Arena in Detroit and the Nanjing Sports Park in Nanjing, China, are both examples of a sporting venue that is acting as a modern day piazza. The future home of FC Cincinnati in Newport, Kentucky will also act as a modern day piazza due to its central focal point of the community as well as its public park aspects that are incorporated throughout the design. The question though is not necessarily how is the stadium being used in the present, but how will it be used once the life of the stadium is spent.

Future Use of Stadiums The Stadium of Domitian is a perfect example alluding to the continuing relationship between the Stadia and piazzas. Initially constructed as a stadium in 86 AD, it was

“the first and only masonry stadium in

Roman History,” 36(Sittko). When used as a stadium it shared the same characteristics as a piazza. It was a place for gathering, with constant activity, and it revitalized this specific area. The irony though, is what it was used for after the athletic and equestrian contests ended because the Figure 9 - Stadium of Domitian http://www.chasinglabellavita.com/wp- content/uploads/2017/01/P1040834.jpg stadium of Domitian continued to thrive. It was used to race and train horses during the late Roman and Medieval times. But, “after the flood of 1476, the stadium’s central area was covered with a floor, and a market was established by Pope Sixtus IV. Over time, homes, shops, a church and a school all used the seating area and its supporting structures as either foundations or basements. The addition of these buildings transformed the area from a ring to a rough square after the stadium’s center space was paved for use as a marketplace, fountains and an obelisk were added to

36 Sittko, Debora, When in Rome: The Stadium of Domitian, Popular Archeology, 2016), www. popular-archaeology.com/issue/winter-2017/article/when-in-rome-the-stadium- of-domitian

18 adorn the massive open space,” 37(Sittko). Therefore, after the life of athletics had ended at the Stadium of Domitian, it slowly transformed its way to a piazza. This piazza is now famously known as the piazza Navona. Successful stadia are piazzas and the stadium of

Domitian is a perfect example to demonstrate this relationship. In order to create a modern

“piazza” for FC Cincinnati’s stadium, a site must be determined.

FC Cincinnati in the MLS Before determining a site for this new stadium and overall development, it must be determined why there is a need for a new stadium. In order to do so, three main criteria were used to determine the best site for this new stadium. The first criteria is determining where the current professional stadiums are in Cincinnati. The second criteria is showing where the fans live, and which areas buy the most tickets. The third main criteria is determining the value of the site based on existing conditions such as infrastructure, surrounding building typologies, views, and size of the land. FC Cincinnati is the new professional soccer team in the greater Cincinnati area. They are currently in the USL

(United Soccer League) which is the second highest men’s soccer league in the United

States. The sporting franchise wants to join the MLS (Major League Soccer), which is the highest men’s soccer league in the United States. In order to win the bid for an expansion team, FC Cincinnati must have its own soccer specific stadium. This means that Paul Brown

Stadium and Nippert (UC’s football stadium) would not be allowed because they are not soccer specific. US Bank Arena would also not work for FC Cincinnati’s stadium because it

37 Sittko, Debora, When in Rome: The Stadium of Domitian, Popular Archeology, 2016), www. popular-archaeology.com/issue/winter-2017/article/when-in-rome-the-stadium- of-domitian

19 is too small and again, it also is not a soccer specific stadium. Determining where to put this stadium is the next task.

When mapping out the locations of every single sporting complex in the greater

Cincinnati area, it is determined that there is a clear gradient of professionalism in regards to the stadium types inside the 275 loop. The most professional stadiums are located at the city center, i.e. Paul Brown, Great American, and US Bank Arena. The second tier of

professionalism is collegiate, and

those too are located closer to the city

center but not as close, i.e. University

of Cincinnati, Xavier University,

Northern Kentucky University,

College of Mount Saint Joseph, and

Thomas More College. The bottom

level of professionalism is high school Figure 10: Mapping of Professionalism (Personal Graphic) sports. These schools and sporting complexes are located near or off of major highways to allow easy access in and out of the sporting complexes. In figure 10, the level of professionalism is demonstrated by the size and opacity of the circle. By doing this study, it was determined that the FC Cincinnati stadium should be inside the 275 loop, and close to the city center with the other three professional stadiums. This then would establish a sporting centric core that creates a more cohesive interaction between the Ohio and Kentucky sides of the Ohio River.

The second major criteria for determining where to put the FC Cincinnati stadium is focusing on where the fans live. This is important because with the strong fan base that FC

20 Cincinnati has, it is crucial to cater to the masses and continue to make access to the site convenient for most of the fans and ticket buyers. According to data gathered by the FC Cincinnati’s marketing department, the zip code with the highest ticket sales is 45202, which is downtown Cincinnati. The second highest ticket percentage sales is in Hyde Park, followed by Mason, Figure 11: Zip Codes of Ticket Buyers (Personal Graphic) Loveland, Blue Ash, West Chester, and

Newport, Kentucky having the 7th highest ticket percentage of sales. By creating this map

(Figure 11) demonstrating where FC Cincinnati fans live, it provides a greater understanding as to who the audience is. This also further proves the need to have the

stadium inside the 275 loop and closer

to the city center because the number

one zip code with the highest ticket

sales is downtown Cincinnati.

The third major criteria for

determining where to have the FC

Cincinnati development is based off of

the value of the site based on existing

conditions such as infrastructure,

Figure 12: Locations of Potential Sites

21 surrounding building typologies, views, and size of the land. In regards to infrastructure, there needed to be easy access for travelers from 75 and 71. This requires a centrally located place that is in between the two major highways. This further demonstrated the viability of a Newport site choice because it is centrally located in between the two highways, as well as access from 471, 275, and other Northern Kentucky neighborhoods.

Much like the Italian piazza, the area needs to have an existing urban condition containing restaurants, bars, as well as residential developments. After considering walkability, current conditions, and proximity to fans, three sites were determined. The

West End of Cincinnati, the Newport

Riverfront, and Oakley. Shown in figure

12, the three locations are all within the

275 loop and have easy access to major infrastructure. The Oakley site is the furthest North and is not near downtown Cincinnati by all of the other professional stadiums. Although Oakley was initially the preferred site of the Figure 13: Building Types of Newport, Kentucky Site franchise, it is not the best site to create this development in an urban fabric that functions as an Italian piazza. The West End site has some promising features because of its proximity to Over the Rhine, Washington Park, and I-75. However, the site would take over an existing high school’s sporting facility and force the high school’s field to be relocated.

This left Newport, Kentucky. Newport is the favored site because of its culminating views of

22 downtown Cincinnati, access to highways, proximity to neighborhoods, and its existing urban fabric. This site lends itself to a large urban development that is centered around a soccer specific stadium.

The focal point here though is not in the design of the stadium, or the structures that make up the city, the focus is the interstitial spaces in between the buildings. The gathering spaces, the walkways, the parks, the concourses, all of these spaces make up the interstitial.

The interstitial is important because “where the crowds gather history is made,” 38(Sheard

& Rod). The design of the interstitial is paramount due to its connective nature. The interstitial connects pedestrians to the stadium, bars, restaurants, their homes, a hotel, their office space and every other built environment. The interstitial also comes in the form of a park that connects people from the river front to the new development. The performance and outcome of this development is much like SOM’s Euralille:Centre

International d’Affaires. This project is described as,

“The station becomes an urban artery. The section was developed to be permeable from many points so that it performs as a connector. Initially, it was conceived by the railway as a closed concrete box; the station itself would have been a pavilion on top. It has become, rather, a mutual exposure of the TGV and the city; the new section - two platforms on either side of an almost Roman viaduct for the trains that don’t stop - is completely public and transparent. It connects the various components of the new city: parking, towers, metro, commercial center.” (Koolhaas 1186).39

38 Sheard & Rod, The Stadium Architecture for the New Global Culture 39 Rem Koolhaas, Small, Medium, Large, Extra-large: Office for Metropolitan Architecture, (New York: Monacelli Press, 1998), 1186.

23 These two projects coincide because of their similar components. This station was designed in an area that was dilapidated before this development. Much like the west end of Newport, Kentucky, Lille needed something that would spark life back in this area once again. In order to complete this revitalization of the west end, there needs to be a specific program that serves the community and the greater Cincinnati area’s needs. This booming

Newport development consists of:

One Soccer Specific Stadium

One Five Star Hotel

One Four Star Hotel

Two Large Commercial Office Towers

Restaurants

Bars

Public Park

Housing

Public Parking

Through these programmatic elements, Newport Kentucky will be returned to its former glory through the stadium centered development that focuses on the greater Cincinnati area’s needs.

Conclusion Sports have always been and always will be a significant part of our every day lives.

In order to continue to serve the community and cities in which the stadia are located, they must be designed as a modern day piazza. By putting their stadiums at the city center, the

24 Mesoamerican civilizations, the Ancient Greeks, and Romans, all appropriately honored their gods. These places, though of sport, also serve the community the same way the

Italian piazza serves communities. These stadiums have the ability to transform and completely rejuvenate areas of cities. Past, present, and future stadia are all examples of this piazza through their symbolic nature, social function, focal point of the community, and center of daily life. This thesis contends that in order to continue to serve the community and cities in which the stadia are located, they must be designed with a focus on the connecting spaces. These polyfunctional voids act as an urban artery that connects the organic to the inorganic, the built to the natural, and one person to another. These pockets of gathering that live in the absence of building have the ability to alter and completely rejuvenate areas of cities. The spaces typify the close connection between a stadium and the surrounding development, and make the case that the interstitial transform the core urban fabric of a place into a space. By developing the FC Cincinnati Stadium in the dilapidated west end of Newport, Kentucky, this stadium centered design exemplifies the necessity of the interstitial between the stadium and the cities. The stadium, therefore, is a modern day piazza that transforms the core urban fabric of a place into a space, because

“where the crowds gather history is made,” 40(Sheard & Rod).

40 Sheard & Rod, The Stadium Architecture for the New Global Culture

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