Arena Pernambuco, Recife
An Integrated Complex Meeting the Multiuse Needs
The architecture firm Fernandes Arquitectos Associados was chosen to draft the design for one of the most opulent locations of the Recife region to host the FIFA 2014 World Cup. Founder and architect Daniel Hopf Fernandes conceptualized a design that marked a new statement to the host nation of the Football World cup. He came up with a natural appeal design, which created a curiosity among the people of Recife region.
The Arena Pernambuco, which is part of a complex which also featuring restaurants, shopping centres and cinemas, is located in Sao Lourenco da Mata in Recife’s metropolitan zone, just 19km away from Guararapes International Airport. The project is seen as an economic catalyst for the continued expansion of Grande Recife, within an area which is considered to be economically deprived. It is also estimated that the area will expand into a neighbourhood including nearly 5,000 homes.
In an exclusive interview with Built Expressions, Fernandes Arquitectos Associados shares more on this overwhelming project of Brazil.
Arena Pernambuco - a private stadium with unique and modern design is built in a great natural appeal area. The audience will be entertained with bars and retail outlets strategically installed in all sectors, which will lead to attracting new fans and increasingly bring families to the field, enabling new experiences and extending leisure options before and after matches.
Arena Pernambuco is designed to be a "multipurpose" Arena, since it has capacity to host events of various kinds, such as concerts, festivals, conferences, and trade shows, as well as sporting events. So the space will be a great and attractive urban centre with residential, commercial, educational, and entertainment areas, which will be of great importance for the economic growth and expansion of the metropolitan area of Recife.
Natural Appeal
Fermandes Arquitetos
“As formal conceptualization for the design, the intention was to take advantage of the arena location in an area of great natural appeal and generous dimensions, creating a single project and fully integrated into its surroundings with the smallest possible visual impact, however, of great visual appeal. A simple and impacting, easy-to-read shape that raises curiosity, which is inviting and attractive. We sought a way able to bring the feeling that the building sprang of the terrain, rather than having been placed, built. Instead of the usual solution of the high construction with striking vertical projection and generous volumes, characteristic of large-capacity arenas as the one planed, the design reverses the sense and eases its boundaries through slanted and smooth transition, which extends out blending the building with the landscape, transforming Arena Pernambuco in part of the local topography”, says Ar. Daniel Hopf Fernandes.
Arena Pernambuco is a multipurpose space that integrates the new development centre in Recife region into a project that cherishes for sustainability and preserves the natural characteristics of the surroundings. The Arena design fully meets the multiuse needs and may host different events, such as concerts, festivals, conferences and fairs, in addition to sporting events. All infrastructure planned for the Arena will be capable of meeting different demands that these events requiring, counting, for instance, with a broad conference room, auditorium for 420 people and press room.
Cladding and Coverage
One of the primary highlights of the stadium is the cover, which as added more beauty to the stadium. “ A great cover was designed in order to provide greater comfort to spectators and better condition for the broadcast, press areas and VIP sectors. The support structure consists of steel space frame anchored in metal pillars. Its upper cladding consists of two distinct sections: the outer ring is closed with thermo acoustic tiles, providing shade and protection from the rain, while the inner ring consisting of glass cladding, in order to avoid large shade areas on the lawn, which can harm both the health of the grass and the games broadcasting on television. The lower part of the structure will be partially closed with perforated metal tiles, providing greater lightness to the set” , explains Ar. Daniel.
Technical walkways enables easy access for eventual maintenance in the coverage or any equipment that is fixed on it, such as screens, speakers, field lighting reflectors and light fixtures to the bleachers.
Its coverage, with area of 19,600.00m², consists of steel space frame in balance anchored in metal pillars, with upper cladding formed by an opaque outer ring and transparent inner ring. In total, the coverage is fixed to 68 metal pillars, which are directly supported on the concrete structure. The opaque section is a system consisting of a thermoplastic membrane of flexible Polyolefin (TPO), thermo-insulating boards of rigid polyisocyanurate foam coated with a fibre glass layer on both sides and galvanized steel tiles.
The transparent section, in turn, is a system formed by laminated glass frames, pre-manufactured and encapsulated with structural silicon. The proportion between the opaque and transparent sections was done in such a way to allow maximum protection from the stands without creating shadows on the lawn that could harm both broadcasting of events and the natural growth and maintenance of the grass. At the bottom of the spatial structure, a cladding with pre-painted perforated metal tiles provides greater lightness to the set.
The spatial structure consists of steel bars fixed to massive steel spheres that allow the bars to be fixed at any point along its surface, providing great flexibility in the adaptation of the geometry of the arena coverage. Technical walkways located within the spatial structure along the entire perimeter of the cover allow access to video screens, sound equipment and lighting fixtures of the stands, besides the field lighting reflectors installed on the section with glass cover.
Bonding with People
“With a capacity of 46 thousand supporters, Arena Pernambuco is a multi-purpose arena and is located in a strategic point in the metropolitan region of Recife (PE), which in the future will be home to a complex of great importance for the local socioeconomic development: a new urban centre with residential, commercial, educational, and entertainment areas that will have fundamental importance on the expansion and development of Greater Recife,” shares Ar. Daniel
The area chosen for implementation of the new Arena Pernambuco played a key role in the architectural design concept, creating new possibilities and allowing differentiated solutions to a modern, efficient arena model and integrated to its surroundings and with the natural and sustainability aspects.
Located in São Lourenço da Mata, metropolitan region of Recife, in BR-408 highway, the area borders Capibaribe River, with the highway and with large environmental protection areas, where part of the remaining native forest can still be found. A large natural semi-preserved area between preservation areas and with strategic location is the setting for the design of the new Arena Pernambuco. Due to the large size of the area chosen, the design of the new arena is located within a larger occupation plan, The World Cup City. It will be a new urban centre that will feature residential, commercial, educational, and entertainment areas, which will contribute to the development and expansion of the metropolitan area of Recife.
Challenges
Since its a massive stadium to be raised, the people involved in the process of construction faced numerous challenges. When queried on this Ar. Daniel said, “The main challenge of this project was to reconcile a construction of great impact in an area of environmental protection, where one can still find part of remnant bush land. The area chosen for implementation of the new Arena Pernambuco played a key role in the architectural design concept, creating new possibilities and allowing differentiated solutions to a modern, efficient arena model and integrated to its surroundings and with the natural and sustainability aspects such as: Storm water reuse system; Water heating system through solar collectors installed on the roofing; use of equipment and devices to save water in all toilets and change rooms; use of photovoltaic panels for power generation through solar energy and use of natural lighting and ventilation”.
Safety Aspects of the Stadium
The concern with public safety was paramount in the design of Arena Pernambuco.All circulation spaces, accesses, runners, vomitories and other structures are scaled according to international standards, allowing for correct and comfortable public shift in normal and also emergency situations. The stadium is incorporated with control room with view of the lawn and bleachers; Safety room; Closed circuit television (CCTV), for surveillance and monitoring of the common areas; Access control system to integrate the system of access to events and access to restricted environments of the building, consisting of central station, electronic turnstiles, e-cards, electromagnetic lock, among others; Digital fire detection and alarm system; Audio system to allow communication with the public in internal and circulation areas of the stadium; Sets of ramps and pressurized stairs protected against fire.
Features
As functional concept for the design, in addition to the safety of spectators, the main objective is to create the ultimate in comfort for users and differentiated ambience in all areas of the arena, creating a unique experience for fans and players. The stands were designed using modern concepts of visibility, comfort and safety. Its format and vertical stratification provide proximity and excellent field vision for all, creating the ambience needed for the public and players. The audience of bleachers is formed basically by the general public and the VIP public. For the general public, large areas of circulation with bars and toilets were provided to accommodate all supporters with comfort and safety. For the VIP sectors, large living areas with special food services and exclusive bars bring a greater comfort to the public.
Another particularity of the Arena Pernambuco design is the use of ETFE (Ethylene Tetra-fluoroethylene), material used for the first time in Latin America. The side cladding of the of the Arena Pernambuco facades comprises a pneumatic pillows system in ETFE films, which edges are attached to a metal structure by means of aluminium profiles.
The combination between transparent and opaque films, as well as the application of several types of screen printing on the surface thereof, confers a constant dialogue between the indoor and outdoor areas, as well as allow a diverse lighting control inside the arena, according to the different uses under the membrane, such as to mitigate the effects of heat gain by the side cladding surface. Another sustainable detail is that the membranes made with this polymer are 100% recyclable, with low friction rate and non stick properties, preventing dirt and dust particles to be deposited on its surface.
The film used by Vector Foiltec in the manufacture of pneumatic pads of Arena Pernambuco is a high performance fluoropolymer film developed and manufactured by AGC Chemicals, in its unit in the city of Chiba, Japan. It is an ultraviolet light-resistant material and suitable for long-term use outdoors.
Also, the facades have openings that allow the use of natural ventilation and help in the control of internal temperature, contributing to the comfort of users.
In terms of design the stadium is an absolute mark of pride and honour to the Recife region of Brazil. The architect as solely put his effort to sculpt an excellent design of the stadium. Thus, Arena Pernambuco is a brand new structure of attraction to the people of Brazil
Daniel HopfFernandes
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Architect graduated from the Architecture and Urbanism School of the São Paulo University (FAU/USP), in 1997. In the following year, he founded FernandesArquitetosAssociados. His first projects were in the residential sector and then in the health sector, in buildings totalling over 100 thousand m2 of building area and operate more than one thousand beds.He also developed infrastructure designs for the subway systems inSão Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Salvador and Manaus, in addition to the Nacala Airport, in Mozambique. |
He also developed design of Linear Park in Pinheiros River, São Paulo. He started in the sports segment in 2005, with projects for the Pan-American Games. Currently, he develops studies and designs for several arenas, such as Grêmio, Ponte Preta, Pacaembu (renovation) and Fonte Nova arenas, in addition to designs for MaracanãandPernambuco arenas, both for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.