Vela di Calatrava - Città dello Sport

Among the famous architectures that outline the skyline of the Eternal City, there is no shortage of contemporary references by acclaimed archistars, such as Zaha Hadid's Maxxi, Renzo Piano's Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone, Richard Meier's Ara Pacis museum complex and Massimiliano Fuksas' Nuvola. Today, these are joined by Santiago Calatrava's Sail (Vela), whose project for a multifunctional Sports City in the Tor Vergata district started in 2005, in view of the 2009 World Swimming Championships.

Seventy-five metres high and weighing over 6,800 tonnes, the Spanish architect and engineer's massive work seems to have been created to defy the laws of gravity, but its elegant and fluid lines, reminiscent of a sail unfurled in the wind, create a sense of lightness and dynamism in the beholder. Its sinuous and soft shapes have also been designed, and specially crafted, to capture the sunlight in an alternating play of light and dark, for a unique and personal visual experience capable of arousing different sensations, curiosity and a sense of amazement at the unprecedented details and perspectives that are captured with each new glance.

Calatrava's The Vela, however, is not only a purely aesthetic creation, it is also a symbol of innovation and progress, a current and stimulating landmark that fits harmoniously into an urban environment usually confined within the framework of tradition. An iconic and astonishing structure, the Vela, now part of the collective imagination, demonstrates how 21st century design can easily dialogue with the historical and cultural context of one of the oldest and most fascinating cities in the world.

Returned to the citizenship in 2025, for the Youth Jubilee, the Vela has been completely redeveloped and enhanced, thanks to an investment of 80 million euro allocated by the Ministero dell'Economia, the Agenzia del Demanio and the Struttura Commissariale per il Giubileo.

The interventions included the consolidation of the existing load-bearing structures and their static testing, the completion of the Palasport with its initial utilisation as an open-air arena designed to seat eight thousand people and up to fifteen thousand in the entire indoor area, and the redevelopment and renovation of the outdoor areas, the road network, the car parks, and the underground infrastructure.

The regeneration project, with a view to future development, has prioritised environmental sustainability with the planting of trees and shrubs that will lead to an estimated reduction in CO2 emissions of around 45 tonnes in 20 years and over 65 tonnes in 30 years. Water reclamation and clean energy production have already been implemented and, in the future, a botanical park will also be created to serve the city.

Finally, Calatrava's Vela has been equipped with a highly scenographic lighting system: a poetic play of light that evokes the cycle of day and night, the path of the sun, moon and stars. Designed by lighting designer Barbora Nacarova, the light installation, inaugurated at the opening of the Holy Year, received first prize in the prestigious international competition Darc Awards 2024 - Structure High Budget, as the best artistic lighting in the world.

Vela by Calatrava ph. Turismo Roma