Practical guide to safe seating in sports facilities: the example of the extension of the Palasport Olimpico (PalaIsozaki) in Turin for the ATP Finals 2021

Seating is indispensable equipment in any sports facility, whether outdoor, like stadiums or outdoor facilities, or indoor, like sports arenas.

The word “seating”, often wrongly confused with “chair”, is the specific technical term used to define equipment designed to offer sports event spectators a comfortable and safe experience.

When designing a sports facility, the choice of sports seating is governed by specific UNI and ISO standards defining the indispensable requirements depending on the facility, with a priority given to safety.

WHICH REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET WHEN CHOOSING SAFE SEATING FOR SPORTS FACILITIES?

There are various models of sports seating, from monobloc seats, with or without back, to folding seats with tilting seat. Aside from the different characteristics of each model, to meet the requirements all the seating must comply with specific standards throughout their life cycle, starting from their design. The requirements for all sports seating mainly concern safety, design and functionality.

Safety of sports seating

Standard UNI EN 13200-4:2007, which specifies the “mechanical, physical and chemical product characteristics of fixed seating used in sports venues (indoor and outdoor) in the spectator viewing area”, classifies sports seating into 4 types:

bench
seat with low back
seat with high back
folding seat

The design and construction of each type of seat must comply with the general construction requirements, to guarantee a safe finished product for the end user, in particular:

all parts of the seat the user comes into contact with (during and in accordance with the intended use) must be safe and designed to avoid physical injury to the spectator or damage to personal property (for example, when opening and closing folding seats it is fundamental to avoid risks of being cut or entangled);
all accessible parts must have no sharp edges or corners;
the edges of the back, seat and armrests (where present) must be rounded with a minimum radius of 3 mm; the ends of hollow components must be sealed or capped;
all chair elements that are lubricated (to facilitate sliding, such as when opening and closing) must be designed to ensure that the spectators are not stained by the lubricant during use;
the seats must be firmly fixed and anchored to the support structure (e.g., the steps) and can only be removed using specific tools;

if the seat consists of different parts, these must all be compatible with each other.

Design of sports seating

Along with safety, design is also a key element in the choice of sports seating suited to different sports facility projects. In particular, for seating for indoor sports facilities, it is necessary to focus on certain characteristics:

corrosion resistance. All the metal components of the seats and the anchoring components must pass the ISO 9227 conformity test, which is passed if there are no visible defects after 200 hours of usage of the product indoors.
strength and durability. Sports seating is tested in conformity with standard EN 12727 to assess its mechanical resistance: loads and cycles are applied according to 4 severity levels (from 1 to 4). The test is passed if at the end no deformations or damage are reported which could affect the safe use and functioning of the seating.
fire resistance. All the elements making up the seat must meet the national regulations governing fire performance.
resistance to acts of vandalism. Resistance to use changes according to the seat models, which are classified into 4 levels according to standard EN 12727: Light, Moderate, General and Severe.
easy cleaning and maintenance. Seats can be washed with warm water, without the use of chemicals, and routine maintenance is assured by simple, periodic interventions.

Ergonomics of sports seating

Biomechanical data and anthropometric aspects underlie the design of ergonomic sports seating that is comfortable for the user. The 5 fundamental dimensions for the design and development of seating, according to standard UNI EN 13200-4:2007, are:

seat height from the ground (min. and max.);
seat depth;
back width and height;
height of and distance between armrests;
headrest properties.

MONDO AND THE PRODUCTION OF SPORTS FACILITY SEATING

MONDO designs and produces seating systems for both indoor and outdoor sports and recreational facilities. The MONDO range of sports seating includes seats in polypropylene and polyamide, thermoplastics with high mechanical performance, resistant to wear and chemicals, in different models: monobloc seats, folding seats, outdoor stands.

The MONDO seating range was one of the first to be produced using gas assisted injection molding technology. This process is used to eliminate any metal structures from the seat, optimizing the finished product, reducing costs and ensuring higher resistance to shocks, torsions and blows.

Manufacturing process of MONDO sports seating with and without gas assisted injection molding.

Manufacturing process of MONDO sports seating with and without gas assisted injection molding.

NEW MONDO SPORTS SEATS FOR PALAISOZAKI FOR THE NITTO ATP FINALS IN TURIN

For the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, MONDO was chosen to supply the surfaces and equipment, including sports seating, for some of the main facilities where this sporting event was held: Tazzoli Ice Rink, Torre Pellice “Giorgio Cotta Morandini” Olympic Ice Rink, Palasport Olimpico/PalaIsozaki and “PalaVela”.
In 2021, MONDO seating returned to the fore during the extension of an iconic sports facility in the Piedmont capital, previously home to the 2006 Winter Olympics: Pala Alpitour or PalaIsozaki, named after one of the two architects who designed it. For this facility, chosen to host the ATP Finals from 2021 to 2025, MONDO supplied new seating, aiming to increase the spectator capacity and guarantee the great spectacle of live men’s tennis for a larger number of spectators.

For the Pala Alpitour, MONDO installed 500 new MONDO ICE 2006 seats (already chosen for the PalaVela) on the side terraces in the corners of the facility. The indoor sports seats installed at Pala Alpitour are single-piece seats made in injection molded thermoplastic material, with no metal inserts.

MONDO combines decades of experience in the design, production and installation of floorings and sports equipment for indoor and outdoor facilities with its ability to listen to users’ needs, its attention to detail and research into high-quality materials.

The result is the development of safe, functional solutions that respond to the design and usage needs of sports people and events organizers. MONDO products also meet the strictest international safety regulations, certified by internationally renowned independent laboratories.