Stadio delle Alpi - in memoriam

The Stadio delle Alpi was a football and athletics stadium in Turin, Italy, and was the home of both Juventus Football Club and Torino Football Club between 1990 and 2006. In English, the name means "Stadium of the Alps," a reference to the nearby Alps mountain range. The stadium is currently being demolished (with both football clubs playing their home fixtures at the rebuilt Stadio Olimpico), and a new stadium will be opened in 2011 in its place.

Designed by architect Studio Hutter, the delle Alpi was originally built in 1990 to host matches for the 1990 World Cup, as a replacement for the aging Stadio Comunale, the then name of today's Stadio Olimpico. The stadium's original capacity was 69,041 fans; however, due to FIFA rules regarding the segregation of home and away supporters, the actual capacity is reduced to 67,229.

History
Construction on the stadium began in June 1988, and due to the use of prefabricated concrete, was complete within two years. The delle Alpi was built by the council of Turin, with both of the city's football clubs using it as their home ground following the closure of the Stadio Olimpico. It was originally intended to be used for not only football, but also athletics, therefore an athletics track was constructed around the outside of the pitch. However, due to the lack of a warm up track, the stadium has never been used for a major athletics event.

The stadium was inaugurated on 31 May 1990 when a joint Juventus-Torino team defeated a Futebol Clube do Porto side 4-3. Due to escalating rental costs, disputes arose between the clubs and the city council. In 1994, the Juventus board investigated building a new stadium, which would be owned by the club. The UEFA Cup semi-final and final matches in 1994-1995 were moved by Juventus to the San Siro in Milan, attracting an audience of 85,000. The Stadio delle Alpi has very rarely been sold out in its history. Finally, in the summer of 2003, Juventus bought the delle Alpi from the council of Turin for a fee of around €25 million.

Attendance
The stadium attendance record is 66,299, set during a UEFA Champions League semi-final (second leg) between Juventus and Real Madrid on 14 May, 2003. During the 1990 World Cup, the stadium hosted (among others) a memorable second round match between Argentina and Brazil, plus a semi-final between Germany and England, both matches attracting around 60,000 fans.

Proposed redevelopment
The delle Alpi's design has been widely criticised due to the poor visibility caused by the distance between the stands and the pitch. This is because the athletics track, which was rarely used, was constructed around the outside of the pitch. Views from the lower tier were also restricted due to the positioning of advertising boardings. The stadium's location on the outskirts of town never found favour with fans, and the stadium design leaves spectators exposed to the elements. These factors have contributed to low attendances; in the 2005–06 season, Juventus' average attendance was 35,880.

The delle Alpi is currently being demolished with plans for a 40,000-seater venue and a number of restaurants and other facilities outside the ground. The new grounds of the stadium is expected to cover around 50,000 square metres. The stadium will be completely demolished by February 2009.

The running track, which was widely blamed for ruining the atmosphere in the stadium, will be removed with the fans moved closer to the action.

The addition of this oval ring and set of VIP boxes protected with glass façades will characterize the new inner space. A movable roof will cover the new seats and underground services will integrate the complex.

This work will be followed by the construction of a big commercial pavilion, down as one quarter segment of the stadium. A new Juventus training centre will also be built next to the stadium; this open area will be characterized by artificial hills placed between football fields containing dressing rooms and underground parking; a set of light buildings for gymnasium, restaurant, hotel will complete the system.

Work started in late November and, once again, it is hoped that the construction will be completed prior to the 2011/12 season.

Until then, Juventus will continue to play their home matches at the Olimpico di Torino.

Concerts
Since 1990, Stadio delle Alpi has been host to a number of concerts and live performances.

1990 - Urban Jungle Tour - The Rolling Stones
1990 - Blond Ambition Tour - Madonna
1991 - Fronte del Palco Tour - Vasco Rossi
1992 - Use Your Illusion Tour - Guns N' Roses
1992 - AncorAssieme - Claudio Baglioni
1993 - Gli Spari Sopra Tour - Vasco Rossi
1993 - Nowhere Else to Roam Tour - Metallica
1993 - Zooropa 93 ZOO TV tour - U2
1994 - The Division Bell Tour - Pink Floyd
1996 - Nessun Pericolo per te Tour - Vasco Rossi
1998 - Tour 1998 - Eros Ramazzotti
1999 - Cantiere Fonòpoli - Renato Zero
1999 - Rewind Tour - Vasco Rossi (2 concerts)
2000 - Live Estate 2000 - Ligabue
2001 - Stupido Hotel Tour - Vasco Rossi
2001 - Elevation Tour - U2
2001 - Stiff Upper Lip Tour - AC/DC
2005 - Buoni o Cattivi Tour - Vasco Rossi
2007 - Tour 2007 - Vasco Rossi (2 concerts)
2007 - Reunion Tour - The Police
2008 - Tour 2008 - Vasco Rossi (2 concerts)

source : wikipedia.org, juventus.com, guardian.co.uk