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