Stadi. Architecture of a Myth

A stadium is more than just a physical space; it is a kaleidoscope through which one can observe myriad important dimensions relating to architecture, urban planning, economics, anthropology, politics and art.

This book, which accompanies the first-ever Italian exhibition dedicated to stadiums (MAXXI, Rome, from May 30 to October 26, 2025), analyses their transformation through time and space, taking an original comparative and multidisciplinary approach and employing a range of narrative registers: interviews, essays, photography projects and an anthology of literary extracts. A look at Italian stadiums and the current debate surrounding their modernisation sits alongside analysis of these structures’ sociological aspects and the different groups of people who attend them. A series of brief essays then investigates the relationship between stadiums and the arts, from the late nineteenth century through to the present day.

The volume is rounded off by fifty profiles of stadiums located both in Italy – featuring designs by figures including Pier Luigi Nervi, Vittorio Gregotti, Renzo Piano and Massimo Majowiecki – and the rest of the world, from Archibald Leitch and Tony Garnier to Frei Otto, Eduardo Souto de Moura and Herzog & de Meuron.

The catalogue is also available in the Italian edition.