Project

Contract study: Remodelling of the forecourt of the Sturm Liebenau Stadium

 
Students on the Master’s degree programme in Architecture focused on the remodelling of the stadium forecourt in Graz-Liebenau.

In the winter semester 2015/2016, students on the Master’s degree programme in Architecture focused on the remodelling of the stadium forecourt in Graz-Liebenau in their “Open Space Planning” and “Building Design” courses. Comprehensive concepts were developed as part of a competition with a view to increasing the amount of time spent by football fans on the forecourt both before and after a match as well as making the forecourt more attractive in general terms.

More than any other sports club in Styria, the SK Sturm Graz football club embodies tradition, passion and emotion. An average of 8,500 supporters make their way to the stadium to watch the team’s home matches. Matches against leading teams attract more than 15,000 people to the stadium. Every two weeks, the stadium forecourt in Graz-Liebenau is the collection point for huge crowds attending these major sporting events. However, the area only starts to fill with people a couple of hours before kick-off and shortly after the end of the game the fans disappear, meaning that for the next 13 days the forecourt resembles a grey urban desert with neither character nor any form of leisure value.

Officials at Sturm Graz have long bemoaned the situation and contacted Wolfgang Schmied, the head of the FH JOANNEUM Master’s degree programme in Architecture, with the idea of launching a contract study for the design and remodelling of the stadium forecourt. The main priorities were to increase the length of time spent by fans there before and after a game as well as enhancing the site to make it attractive and exploit its potential as a valuable open space in the Liebenau district.

As part of the courses in “Open Space Planning”, led by Robert Kutscha, and “Building Design”, led by Thomas Zach, students first looked at the design, activities and facilities of open spaces at large sports stadiums and their forecourts in Europe and in the USA. Based on data collected on open space in the immediate vicinity of Liebenau, key movement axes and perceived amenity value during the match, open space parameters were defined for further design activities. An analysis of current and potential open space users was used to develop the highly inhomogeneous profile of the extremely diverse expectations of what open space should offer – ranging from those of local residents living close to the stadium to those of families with children on match days and non-match days and through to those of die-hard football fans.

An evaluation was carried out of the available space and of necessary parameters such as protection from the elements, lighting and the option of heating for specific areas. This acted as the basis for the development of a range of multifunctional objects designed to redefine the forecourt and including roof structures, mobile furnishings as well as lighting features.

The aim of the courses and thus also of the competition itself was to redefine the Liebenau Stadium as an urban attraction, enabling the development of an independent identity within the context of Sturm Graz and making it an appealing destination even on non-match days. The results succeed in providing the desired diverse and colourful spectrum of architectural designs, ranging from pragmatic or playful through to visionary.

The three prize-winning ideas

1st Place: Our Heroes

The competition was won by Patrick Stumbauer and Lauridis-Axel Schloffer. They impressed the jury with the theme “Our Heroes”. Their design includes a Walk of Fame installed alongside the tram lines featuring life-size figures of former football players, coaches and trophies with information and details available via a QR code. It also features a construction above the entrance to the underground carpark, which would create an area for the hosting of public viewing events.

2nd Place: HAULIEHAUplatz LIEbenau – Stadium Forecourt“

A design featuring flexible presentation stands, which can either be positioned all over the stadium forecourt or kept together and enabling more spatial scope, came second.

3rd Place: “The Net”, Carina Franz and Iris Gomm

Third place went to the designers of a lattice-type structure made of ropes in which different modules can be hung providing areas to relax, play games or do sport.