SITE PLAN
Located in a site of an deactivated airport in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, the Cruzeiro Stadium rises as an architectural complex, providing a huge esplanade containing the Stadium, an Exhibition Pavilion, the Fox Square, a Helipad, and a huge parking lot accommodating over 10,000 vehicles.
CONCEPTION
The stadium has a capacity of 45,000 people, and it was conceived as a landmark for the five-star club, incorporating a translucent and retractable roof with the five blue stars from the Cruzeiro constellation being reflected onto the pitch as shaded elements. A suspended big screen floats over the field as in the famous NBA courts and joins all the linear technological screens that surrounds the stadium, marking the grandstands design.
IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE
The grandstands are next as much as possible to the game area and puts the Cruzeiro supporters near the action and acting as a massive force to push the team. The external appearance has a high technology approach, putting a glazing enclosure with shaders along the façade and a set of columns disposed as trees. These trees elevate the flat roof to be like a floating element, independently built from the curved grandstands highlighted by wooden finishes. The accesses for the supporters were created to provide a charming and warming environment with vegetation, a well-treated landscaping environment creating spaces to hang out and enjoy the views around the stadium.
FUNCTIONALITY
The functionality in the Cruzeiro Stadium was conceived to maximize the efficient flow of people and equipment, organizing the public along the normal grandstands and the VIP areas, and also separating the teams and media to make their work with safety and excellence.
SUSTAINABILITY
The Cruzeiro Stadium is a great sustainability manifesto, incorporating a whole set of solutions the makes the building work as an ecosystem. The floating roof is the paramount gesture that allows natural ventilation. The wind crosses the game area, and the hot air is dissipated by the roof when it’s open. When the roof is closed, it works as a protection from rain and direct solar radiation. The photovoltaic panels over the roof not only has the technical function to convert the solar resources into electric power, but also works as a design element with three oval blue lines that is mirrored at the bottom face with the lighting design to the grandstands. The water also has a special treatment, catch for irrigation and reuse in the toilets.
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
The Cruzeiro Stadium urban complex born as a big platform segmented in five levels, positioning services and equipment to be easily connected to users. It also works as a sustainable ecosystem, providing thermal comfort and visual impact through arborization, reflecting pools and urban furniture.
Vehicles access: supporters of the home team and away team have separated access to the parking lots. Teams, media workers and VIP supporters have an exclusive access forwarding directly to the most restricted areas safely.
Fox square: a customized landscaping inspired in the Cruzeiro’s mascot has a fox face designed on the reflecting pool and a series of gardens unfolding as the fox body. A remarkable are for the fox fans.
Access for supporters: not only in the parking lots, but all the way towards the grandstands is made separately for home and away supporters, ensuring the safety for the spectacle.
Parking Lots: the home team supporter’s parking lot has over 9,000 spots for cars and 45 spots for buses. The away team supporter’s parking lot has over 1,000 spots for cars and 18 spots for buses. All the levels have ramps to ensure accessibility and fire stairs to follow the safety rules.
Expo BH Pavilion: an exhibition space convertible between a sports venue or an events area. The white minimalist lines of the pavilion intend not to rob the attention from the stadium. Its geometric translucent roof brings controlled natural light to the interior.