Spotify Camp Nou – construction description

Why is there a plan to upgrade Camp Nou?

Camp Nou opened on September 24, 1957, as the seventh stadium in FC Barcelona's history. Initially, the venue had two levels of stands. Between 1980 and 1982, before the Spanish World Cup, the auditorium was extended with a third tier. Between 1993 and 1994, the lower ring was rebuilt and the pitch was lowered. The last standing areas were also removed.

In this form, the facility has remained to this day, although minor renovations and modernisations have been carried out on it. With a capacity of 99,354 spectators, it is the largest stadium in Europe and ranks among the world's top in this respect. At the same time, FC Barcelona is one of the most recognisable football clubs with a worldwide fan base, so it is not surprising that since the beginning of the 21st century there have been plans to expand Camp Nou once again.

How did the vision for the extension of Camp Nou unfold?

A contest for the architectural concept of the expansion was held in 2007, and the vision by Foster + Partners won. Due to the global financial crisis, the project ultimately failed to materialise.

In 2014, a referendum was held among club members in favour of the Espai Barça project, a vision for the redevelopment of FC Barcelona's sporting facilities, including the modernisation of Camp Nou as a major investment. In 2016, another competition was held for the concept of the stadium upgrade, with the vision prepared by Nikken Sekkei and Joan Pascual - Ramon Ausió Arquitectes winning (the eventual design was prepared by architects from IDOM, b720 and Nikken Sekkei).

What are the main features of Camp Nou expansion design?

The main features of the new design are: the construction of a new third tier from scratch with a uniform height along the entire external perimeter and thus increasing the capacity of the stadium to more than 105,000 spectators, the creation of a VIP ring between the second and third tiers of the stands and the roofing of all spectator seats in the stadium. A panoramic screen will also be created under the canopy, running along its inner edge. Externally, the venue will be given an open feel with wide terraces.

What costs are involved in the expansion design of Camp Nou?

With investment costs rising exponentially, another internal referendum was held at the end of 2021, in which the club's members agreed to carry out Espai Barça on a budget of no more than €1.5 billion (of which €900 million is to go towards upgrading Camp Nou). The stadium redevelopment is to be completed between 2022 and 2025.

When did the initial works for upgrading Camp Nou start and what was the extent of them?

The first preparatory works started as early as July 2022. It is worth mentioning that a sponsorship agreement has also been in place since July 2022, under which the name of the venue has been changed to Spotify Camp Nou.

Since September 1, 2022, the demolition of a section of the stand behind the south gate has been underway. The scope of work included the removal of elements in the rear of this stand, along with the dismantling of the central section of the top floor of the auditorium. This was to be followed by the construction of new stairs and escape routes to restore the use of the seats not included in the remodelling on the first and second floors.

Work began with the de-installation of the scoreboard and the removal of seats. This resulted in the disposal of 3,782 seats, most of which were occupied by pass holders who were offered a move to similar areas elsewhere in the venue or a temporary deferral of payment.

Demolition gathered pace in November 2022, after the start of the league break associated with the Qatar World Cup. The dismantling of the reinforced concrete elements of the stand then began. The entire work was completed by the end of 2022 and cost €4.6 million. The company Erri Berri was contracted for the demolition.

The decision to partially demolish the third level of the Gol Sud already in the 2022/23 season was taken in view of the possibility of taking advantage of the World Cup break, originally the work was planned to be carried out later.

The partial demolition of this part of Camp Nou was a priority, as it is the place where all the technological connections will be installed. Carrying out this work earlier was to help with scheduling and save time when the main construction work would start.

When will the main works for Camp Nou expansion be carried out?

However, the work on the south stand is only a prelude to the full start of FC Barcelona's stadium expansion operations. The work is expected to start in full force after the 2022/23 season. In early 2023, it was announced that the main contractor for the works would be Turkish company Limak Construction.

In connection with the construction the club will temporarily move to the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, located about 4 km to the south-east, during the 2023/24 season. As it can hold noticeably fewer spectators than Camp Nou (less than 56,000), for a significant number of club pass holders this will mean that they will have to cancel their season tickets.

FC Barcelona will return to its stadium in the 2024/25 season, although its capacity is initially expected to be severely limited. Full completion of expansion work at Camp Nou is scheduled for the end of 2025.