Conservationists Cry Foul After Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence Put at Risk

“As a piece of stadium design it was tremendously influential — you can point to dozens, if not hundreds of stadiums all over the world that were done in the early and mid-20th century that adopted a lot of same things that Nervi was exploring there,” said Thomas Leslie, a professor of architecture at Iowa State University, and one of the main promoters of the petition to save the stadium.

The ministry’s response is expected within 10 weeks.

Andrea Pessina, the Culture Ministry’s top conservation official in Florence and one of the experts to declare the stadium a national landmark in May, said in a telephone interview that his office would have been open to allowing changes to stadium, because of its age and changing standards. Even covering the grandstands and adding commercial spaces seemed possible, he said. “But not demolishing,” he added.

That decision, however, is out of his hands. Under the new law, another official, in Rome, will make the call.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/02/arts/design/florence-stadium.html