Nervi's Palazzo dello Sport



Context Images


Plans & Sections


Internal Stair Detail


Gallery Rendering

Lara K. Davis, MArch 2010
MIT Department of Architecture
Email: lara.earth@gmail.com

This site was made in 2007 in Takehiko Nagakura's
MIT Course 4.560 - Geometric Modeling

 

 

Nervi's Palazzo dello Sport : Context Images

 

 


Photographs

 

 

 


Nervi's Drawings

 


Analytique

 
 

Lara K. Davis, MArch 2010
MIT Department of Architecture
Email: lara.earth@gmail.com

 

Nervi's Palazzo dello Sport : Plan & Sections

 

Plan


Section


Section Rendering


Elevation Rendering

 

Lara K. Davis, MArch 2010
MIT Department of Architecture
Email: lara.earth@gmail.com

 

Nervi's Palazzo dello Sport : Internal Stair Detail

 
Stair Detail
 
Detail in Context
 
3D Print
 

Lara K. Davis, MArch 2010
MIT Department of Architecture
Email: lara.earth@gmail.com

 

Nervi's Palazzo dello Sport : Gallery Rendering

Lara K. Davis, MArch 2010
MIT Department of Architecture
Email: lara.earth@gmail.com

 

Nervi's Palazzo dello Sport : Structural Analysis

   

ROLL SLOWLY
TO DESCONSTRUCT
NERVI'S SPORTS PALACE

Nervi's plastic use of steel-reinforced concrete expressed the lines of principle stress with a marriage of aesthetics and engineering efficiency. By slowly deconstructing the Palazzo dello Sport, we may trace the primary force members (from the dome through its 48 fanned structural members and inclined support columns) as they transmit their load to the foundation along the tangent plane from the thrust of the dome, seating banks and periferal gallery. Note particularly the angular displacement of the primary columns as the resultant shifts to accommodate the thrust of the dome and gallery roof.

Description of Structure


 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

Lara K. Davis, MArch 2010
MIT Department of Architecture
Email: lara.earth@gmail.com

 

 

Palazzo dello Sport (Large Sports Palace), Rome
Designed by Pier Luigi Nervi
Built 1958 - 60


Historical Context:
The Palazzo dello Sport is a sports arena that was built by P.L. Nervi for the 1961 Olympic Games in Rome. It is adaptable for a number of indoor sporting activities, including Basketball, tennis, boxing, wrestling and gymnastics.

Structural Design Innovation:
Nervi's structurally innovative forms utilized the principles of isostatic stress to minimize the material requirements of steel-reinforced, concrete, long-span structures. The pre-cast, vaulted ribs and fan-shaped, ribbed support columns of this 330 ft. dome follow the isostatic lines of principle stress, those in which theoretically no shear stress is induced, thus reducing the total use of concrete. The ribbing of the dome and fans also provide a lateral loading system, by maximizing the cross-sectional area of the dome, accommodating for asymmetrical loading conditions. The 48 inclined columns transmit the load to the foundation with in-plane forces (along the tangental plane) from the combined thrust of the dome, seating banks and periferal gallery.

"The inclination exactly follows the resultants of the thrust of the dome and of the vertical reaction due to the upper bank of seats and the roof of the periferal gallery." - P.L. Nervi, "New Structures"

Tectonic Details:
Dome diameter: 330 ft.
48 Inclined columns
Capacity: 16,000 spectators
Periferal gallery, split-level
2 seating banks
12 external staircases
6 internal staircases
Excellent acoustics

 

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