The Stadio Berta and Nervi’s Rise to Global Acclaim
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Within the framework of the initiative “Pier Luigi Nervi and the Architecture of the 20th Century in Florence,” Tom Leslie, Morrill Professor in architecture, will give this online lecture in English.
His talk will take as its starting point the famed Stadio Berta in Florence, showing how its two phases marked a decisive moment in the career of Pier Luigi Nervi.
Its second phase, one of the first projects done with Nervi’s new contracting partner, shows a new interest in structural form; beyond the graceful cantilever of the first phase, the helical staircases of the east grandstand show a growing confidence in reinforced concrete that would become a signature of his work.
At the same time, photographs of the new stadium, published worldwide, launched Nervi’s reputation as a “poet in concrete,” eventually leading to projects throughout Europe, America, and Australia — all of them tracing their lineage back to the stadium in Florence.
