Design & Development

Parma to press forward with Tardini stadium rebuild

Featured image credit:

Italian Serie B football club Parma Calcio 1913 has presented “finalised” stadium redevelopment plans to the local authority.

The project would cost €138m (£119m/$148m) and be financed entirely by the club, which currently sits in second place in the table and is hoping to win promotion back to the top tier this season.

Under the plans, the Tardini stadium would be demolished and rebuilt “with the highest international standards”, the club said.

Parma and design partner Studio Zoppini initially revealed redevelopment plans in April 2021, with the aim of transforming the Tardini into a multi-purpose facility. In January 2022, the club’s plans were approved by the Municipal Administration as a project of public interest.

“Today’s submission, part of a journey that began in 2021, represents a fundamental stage in delivering to the community – to which the club is linked by identity and sense of belonging – a contemporary stadium that is respectful of the Tardini’s history,” Parma said.

The club did not disclose a timeline for the development, but thanked local officials for supporting the project.

The redeveloped stadium will have a capacity of just under 21,000 seats, with nearly 3,000 square metres set aside for commercial use, including a club shop and museum.

Parma also stressed that the facility would be sustainable, with a focus on minimising carbon emissions, reusing rainwater and enhancing access to the stadium via public transport whilst encouraging non-vehicular travel.

A fan-facing plaza will also be created outside the West Stand, allowing the club to host additional public events.

Parma is hoping the stadium will supercharge its drive to return to Italian football’s elite. After finishing in the top six of Serie A for 14 out of 15 seasons in the 1990s and early 2000s, the club collapsed into insolvency, and suffered a further administration before rising again in 2015.

Image: Parma Calcio 1913