The objective of the present special research topic is to analyze the architectural design of football stadiums and its consequences on the acoustics and thus on the ambience created during a football match. The main aim is to define the factors which affect the sonic ambience and differentiate it from stadium to stadium.
In a first place, the peculiarities and the specialties of the stadium’s architectural design are examined. Moreover, the design of the stadium is approached by taking into consideration the science of acoustics and by identifying the features of space, sound and crowd’s behavior which form the sonic ambience.
The next step is the study and the analysis of specific stadiums according to the three features mentioned above. The methodology that was used consists of the following procedures; initially, numerous of football stadiums abroad, which are known for their special sonic ambience, are analysed. Certain design details are observed in order to define the main factors which shape the sonic ambience. In addition, there is an extended reference to the morphological characteristics of the stadium’s architectural design, such as the roof and the platform, which are different in each case. At the same time, the differences from country to country on the reaction and the perception of the wide mass of fans, are listed and studied. Furthermore, the study of stadiums in Greece is attempted through different tools, such as interviews and research about the fans’ personal experiences, giving a big attention to the identification of the factors that affect their behaviour, as they are not only a source of sound, but they also perceive and participate to the total sonic ambience.
Through the levels of the study and the obtained conclusions, a presentation of several football stadiums is attempted, in a form of a catalogue which indicates the relation of the stadiums’ architectural styles with the sound quality and the sonic ambience that is created inside them. The overall research is meant to become a useful tool of the architect who is responsible of a new football stadium design.