Images: Coritiba
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A football club Coritiba has claimed a first for the Brazilian stadium market with the opening of a sensory room.
The room at the Estádio Major Antônio Couto Pereira opened on Sunday for the Série A game against Flamengo, a 1-0 victory for the home side which guaranteed its top flight status for the 2023 season with two games remaining of the current campaign.
Coritiba partnered with Instituto ICO, which specialises in helping people who have autism, to deliver the project. It was financed through funds raised through a charity auction held in May, in addition to donations of products and labour from commercial partners.
The acoustic treatment of the room’s walls and ceiling has been designed to reduce the noise level of the stadium as much as possible. On the outside, microphones capture the sound of the stadium, which can then be reproduced via speakers inside the room at a volume suitable for the fans inside.
The ambient lighting is customised, using indirect light, providing greater visual comfort. The furniture was also designed in an adapted way for the fans.
Companies that collaborated with the project are: Cristal Engenharia, Daph Draw, Estrutural, Europa Esquadrias de PVC, Facilita Pais, Delivar de Mattos & Castor Advogados, Kapazi, LED Lâmpadas e Iluminação, P.B Castro Leilões, Pilar, PSV Auditoria e Consultoria, Railbotic and SunFix. Architects Carla Mattioli and Maurício Pinheiro Lima donated their work to deliver the room.
Founder of Instituto ICO, Elyse Matos, said: “This is a great day for the autism movement in Brazil. This project passed through the hands of several people and, with it, we want to show that it is possible and viable, regardless of the size of the club, to carry out actions that go far beyond football.”
Councilman Pier Petruzziello, who is active in the inclusion and accessibility guidelines of Curitiba City Council, added: “Coritiba kicks off inclusion within the stadium. I hope this will serve as an incentive for other stadiums to do the same, and I want to congratulate the entire board, the Instituto ICO and everyone who was part of this project.”
Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena last month partnered with non-profit organisation KultureCity to make all programmes and events at the venue sensory-inclusive.
The partnership will look to provide a more accommodating and positive experience for guests and fans with sensory sensitivities at the arena, which serves as the home of the NBA’s Lakers and Clippers, the NHL’s Kings and the WNBA’s Sparks.
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