Go, Corinthians!

Construction Expo 2013 will host the Arena Corinthians thematic exhibit hall presenting details on this controversial project

Construction Expo 2013 will be the stage for an unprecedented presentation of a true epic of Brazilian engineering: the ongoing construction of the Arena Corinthians soccer stadium which is underway in the borough of Itaquera - East Zone of the city of São Paulo. It goes without saying that any fact whatsoever involving Sport Club Corinthians Paulista - the team with the second largest number of fans in Brazil - is grand in both dimension and importance. Despite the team’s history of glories, ‘Corinthians’ was, until last year, embittered by the fact it had never won the title of Champion of the “Taça Libertadores da América” - a premier South American club tournament - and for being the only major team in São Paulo that did not have a stadium worthy of its stature and prestige.

Winning the ‘Libertadores’ title was the great achievement of the team led by coach ‘Tite’ /‘tee-teh’/ (Adenor Leonardo Bacchi) in 2012, mobilizing a legion of fans who traveled all the way to Japan for the Libertadores Cup finals and, literally, paralyzed the city of São Paulo on the day of the crucial game. The stadium, however, was a feat credited to former club president Andrés Sánchez, who spared no efforts or the soles of his own two feet to secure, for the new Arena Corinthians, the right to host the opening game of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. But it is Sánchez himself who underscores what he considers is the most significant fact represented by the stadium’s construction: “The development of the city’s East Zone will be the heritage that Corinthians will enable through the construction of the stadium”, he states emphatically.

And the Arena Corinthians thematic exhibit (Corinthians Sports Arena Hall) - a hall within Construction Expo 2013 - will be a good way to enable the public at large to learn more about the importance of this endeavor. “It will be a great opportunity for Brazilians to become aware of the importance of this stadium and what it will represent for the city’s East Zone. Since it’s impossible for everyone to have access to the construction site itself to see the project, nothing better than to take advantage of this moment (Construction Expo 2013) to learn about the benefits that this initiative will ensure for everyone”, he emphasizes.

The wishful promise of building a stadium for Corinthians spanned generations and involved proposals of countless projects and mock models which heightened both the hopes and the disappointment of the team’s fans, on the one hand, and their rivalry against supporters of other soccer teams, on the other. That’s why, at the outset of the actual project, starting from the very choice of the land on which the stadium would be built - in the borough of Itaquera, curiosity and debate grew among the city’s entire population. Many were disbelieving, saying that the project was destined for failure, in view of the difficulties of access to the ‘remote’ region of Itaquera. However, that problem will be remedied with roadwork this is underway in the vicinity of the stadium.

As early as the beginning of worksite set up, Corinthians fans and those who lived in the vicinity of the future Arena lined up either in search of job opportunities or because they wanted to participate in the initiative. Odebrecht Infraestrutura, the company responsible for the construction, even developed a program for training and qualification so that the region’s manpower could be engaged, whether in the building of the stadium or employed in other projects. Even today, many still come to the worksite as spectators, just to observe the construction of their dream.

There was also no shortage of technical difficulties to be addressed and overcome by engineering. For example, the presence of an underground oil pipeline and the large amounts and size of the materials involved. In order to meet construction deadlines, priority was given to the use of pre-fabricated structures, requiring an outstanding amount of equipment for transportation and hoisting to handle a total of 11,682 precast concrete slabs, 3,274 precast beams, 594 precast pillars and a deep foundation utilizing 3,100 precast root piles (pali-radice). Now, the work is getting ready to enter the final phase - the stadium’s roof covering.

Durant their visit to the Corinthians Sports Arena Hall, the public will be able to follow the sequence of phases in the construction of this project, which gained epic proportions, via display panels, videos and photos. Visitors will also have contact with the various suppliers of materials and inputs used in the project at their individual stands within the hall, getting to know up close the ‘secrets’ that Arena Corinthians users will have at their service.

To Andrés Sánchez, one of the main aspects that will distinguish the Corinthians stadium from those of competing teams - and that will become evident at the Construction Expo Corinthians Hall - is the technology and degree of comfort that it will provide for spectators - a dramatic change compared to what has been available until now. “Brazil is five-time World Soccer Champion but its stadiums were in chaotic condition - chemical toilets, no cafeterias or restaurants, nothing… not even the least possible comfort for its users who were ushered in and out like livestock. In the new arenas, and at the Corinthians stadium most certainly, spectators will be able to enjoy a lot more comfort. Fans will be much more confident that what they pay for admission will ensure they are well received and welcomed. Therefore, I think this represents an upgrade in Brazilian stadiums”, Sánchez said.

Potential for tourism is also a factor to be taken into account - the new arena will house the Corinthians Museum which will tell the story of the teams approaching 103rd anniversary. To the team’s former president, Brazilians have not developed a culture of visiting museums devoted to association football (soccer) yet. But, due to global interest in the game, and the passion of those who cheer their team on, the stadium may become one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions in the future.

“The Corinthians team stadium may be the ‘cherry on the cake’ for São Paulo’s East Zone. And its main ‘secret’ lies in the great amount of development that it will bring for the East Zone with the arrival of companies, new jobs, tourists … a whole lot of things. That’s what matters most”, says Sánchez. The Corinthians project encompasses social programs for which studies are already underway in cooperation with São Paulo’s City Hall, he informs.

To conclude, Mr. Sánchez - who doubles as technical director and fan - remembers the many comings and goings in the arena’s construction. “I had never dreamt of leading this process. I took great care not to make any promises I couldn’t keep. Because, even if I could lie to everyone else, I couldn’t do that to my own children who are Corinthians fans. I didn’t want them to be deceived the way I had been so many times”, he admits. This and many other stories of the passion and of the ‘Corinthiano’ heart, one can only begin to understand by getting to know the Arena Corinthians. And those who come to the Arena Corinthians Hall at Construction Expo 2013 will get an advanced preview and an early chance to be convinced.