São Paulo, September 2020 - The Biselli Katchborian office signs a retrofit proposal for Vila Belmiro, the legendary Santos FC stadium and the stage for numerous Pelé matches. The proposal enabled an increase in capacity, from 14,000 to 21,000 spectators, and reorganized the relationship between the building and its surroundings with a boulevard on the first floor, expanding the visibility of the stadium and improving use for pedestrians in Santos (SP).
Designed by Biselli Katchborian Arquitetos
The main intervention is the transformation of Princesa Isabel Street into Boulevard, converting it into an adequate space to receive its users on game days where the street is invariably closed. This option increases the possibility of new uses and services, such as space for Street Fairs and Food Trucks, with new urban furniture.
On the remaining roads, the improvement proposal consists of widening the sidewalk, a condition that makes it possible to install active façades, generating a new urban dynamic and activating the village's surroundings as a point of interest, even on days when there are no games.
The architects dealt with an implementation challenge: the lot that houses Vila Belmiro is very compact (less than 20 thousand m²), and its surroundings ended up being appropriated by the city, giving professionals little scope for expansion in its limits.
This characteristic led to the option for the focus of the stadium in its core activity: to receive the public with safety and comfort for football matches, without blind spots, being able to also receive concerts. Consequences of this objective are the transfer of basic accommodations to training centers, the re-centralization of the field (gaining more space for the stands), with the elevation of the lawn by 40cm, and the change of the location of the Santos FC and Visitors.
