populous shapes 18,500-seat stadium as garden pavilion for venice's bosco dello sport

populous brings 18,500-seat stadium to bosco dello sport, venice

Populous teams up with Maffeis Engineering to unveil plans for a fresh city stadium in Venice, designed to bring top-tier sports and entertainment to the city’s growing Bosco dello Sport (The Sports Forest) in Tessera. Anchoring a new 116-hectare sports and social hub in the northern part of Venice, the project is set to host Serie A football, rugby matches, and concerts.

The upcoming Venice stadium seats 18,500 people and forms part of a wider masterplan combining sport, education, and well-being. The design follows soft, curved lines that mirror the surrounding landscape, placing the stadium like a pavilion inside a garden. ‘Populous Italia is proud to contribute to the Bosco dello Sport project, where entertainment and sports activities at all levels will have a transformative and regenerative impact on the area,’ says Silvia Prandelli, senior principal and general manager of Populous Italia.

Populous teams up with Maffeis Engineering to unveil plans for a new city stadium in Venice

a versatile design that adapts to various events

The stadium’s elliptical footprint and vertical facade elements compose a lightweight structure. A crescent-shaped podium wraps around the stadium, housing parking areas and services without disturbing the landscape. Aiming to provide better sightlines for fans, the team of Populous Italia stretches the seating bowl semi-continuously across the south, east, and north sides. The west stand concentrates VIP hospitality spaces, offering premium services and full views of the surrounding area through a 360-degree gallery.

Stepping inside, the layout puts fan experience first, with a mix of dining and social spaces. The stadium is built to inclusive design standards, making it fully accessible. It can transform easily to host rugby matches and live events, ensuring it stays active beyond game days. ‘The time has come for us to have one of the most modern and cutting-edge stadiums in the world,’ shares Luigi Brugnaro, mayor of Venice. ‘This will be an important project not only for our metropolitan area, but for the whole country.’

For Maffeis Engineering, the project hits closer to home. ‘For us this stadium is by Venetians for Veneto,’ says Massimo Maffeis, CEO of Maffeis Engineering. ‘While we are used to working on international projects, there is an added emotion and motivation to work on a project that feels more ‘ours’ than many others.’

the stadium seats 18,500 people and forms part of a wider masterplan