The Municipality of Florence has fired the starting gun on a tender process to secure a partner to undertake the redevelopment of the Stadio Artemio Franchi after the executive project drawn up by the Italian division of engineering and design consultancy Arup was approved.
In March 2022, Arup was selected to lead the revamp of the home of Serie A football club Fiorentina, securing the architectural and multidisciplinary design contract. The Franchi opened in 1931 and has a current capacity of around 43,000. Arup’s proposal features a roof for the Franchi and new grandstands which will bring fans closer to the pitch. Under the plans, the new capacity of the stadium will be at least 40,000.
Following approval of the executive project, the Municipality has said tender procedures for the redevelopment of the stadium originally designed by renowned architect Pier Luigi Nervi can now begin. It is expected that the tender documents will be issued on Friday, with a deadline for submitting offers having been set for December 11.
The Municipality hopes to make a decision on the winning bid by December 31, with a judging commission set to assess offers on an overall score of 100, with 80 points awarded for the technical offer, and 10 apiece for the price and timeframe for delivery.
Work must begin by March, but the Municipality has signalled that it intends to start before this deadline. Indeed, preparatory works for the main contract are already scheduled for January, starting with the Curva Ferrovia, with the demolition of structures built for the Franchi’s status as a venue for Italy’s staging of the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
The funds that have been approved to date for the project are just over €151.3m (£131.6m/$161.4m). The Municipality said that if the overall funding foreseen for the stadium is restored, the company that wins the contract will be able to continue with the project without the need to launch further tenders.
The Municipality owns the historic Franchi and is leading its renovation project. The venture has been met with multiple challenges and in April, the European Commission confirmed that Italy had been barred from directing almost €150m of COVID-19 recovery funds towards major stadium projects in Florence and Venice, €55m of which was destined for the Franchi. If this €55m funding is not restored, other avenues of investment would need to be pursued.
In June, a court dismissed an appeal that was lodged against the redevelopment of the Franchi. The appeal had been filed to the Regional Administrative Court of Lazio (TAR) against the Ministry of Culture, Florence’s superintendence and the Municipality by Fondation PLN Project.
PLN is a non-profit organisation dedicated to preserving the legacy of Nervi, who died in 1979. Nervi designed the Franchi, which is considered one of the best examples of European architecture from the 20th century.
Fiorentina will require a temporary home for two seasons whilst the redevelopment of the Franchi takes place, Mayor of Florence Dario Nardella said in March.
