Nou Mestalla – design description

What is the Nou Mestalla project like in a nutshell?

At the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, Valencia CF, thanks to its excellent results, ranked not only among Spain's, but also Europe's top football clubs. On the wave of success, a decision was made to build a new stadium to replace the highly deserved Estadio Mestalla.

Construction of the “best stadium in Europe”, as the club's then president Juan Soler called it, began in August 2007, but then a financial crisis struck, leading to a halt in work in February 2009.

By then, the reinforced concrete skeleton of the stadium was almost fully completed. The abandoned construction site with the unfinished structure bogged down in such a state for years, and work was not resumed until early 2025. According to the new schedule, the facility should be ready in the summer of 2027.

For cost-saving reasons, the project has been trimmed from the original version. Still, the Nou Mestalla will be an impressive facility, and with a capacity of just over 70,000 spectators, it will also rank among the largest in Spain.

Although the Nou Mestalla was not included in the list of stadiums for the 2030 World Cup, after its construction resumed, Spanish officials still hope the venue will join the event.

How did the new stadium for Valencia CF come about?

How did the idea of building the Nou Mestalla come about?

Between 1998 and 2001, the last major expansion of the old Estadio Mestalla took place. At that time, the stands on the north, east and south sides received a third floor, and the facility grew significantly in size. It would seem that such an intervention would keep Valencia CF in its current stadium for years to come.

However, at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, the club achieved extraordinary sporting results, such as two Spanish championships (in 2002 and 2004), reaching the final of the Champions League twice (2000, 2001) and winning the UEFA Cup and European Super Cup in 2004.

Already after two Champions League finals in a row, the city authorities, including Valencia's longtime (1991–2015) mayor, Rita Barberá, began thinking about building a new stadium. At the club, too, similar plans quickly emerged. In mid-2003, prior to the Valencia CF presidential election, candidates promised a new facility.

Could the Nou Mestalla have been built in conjunction with the athletic world championships?

The city's plans were not only related to soccer: in 2004, Valencia authorities also applied to host the 2009 World Athletics Championships. Since the city did not have a stadium capable of hosting such an event, it was assured that a completely new facility would be built, capable of holding 50,000 spectators, and 70,000 spectators once the athletics track was removed.

These plans were, of course, being developed in consultation with Valencia CF, although preliminary talks were also held with Levante UD. On December 4, 2004, a decision was announced regarding the championships, which, after all, was unfavorable for Valencia: the competition was to be held in Berlin (at the Olympic Stadium).

When were the first concrete steps taken to build the Nou Mestalla?

However, plans to build a new stadium for Valencia CF were not abandoned. Since October 2004, Juan Bautista Soler, who was an ardent supporter of the investment, had served as the club's president. By late 2004, the city and the club had reached an agreement on changes in the zoning plan.

The changes allowed for the construction of apartments and other commercial buildings on the site of the existing Estadio Mestalla, which would allow the club to sell the old stadium at a high price and thus raise a significant amount of funds for the construction of the new facility.

In 2005, it was irrevocably agreed that the new stadium would be built in the northwestern part of the city, on avenida de las Cortes Valencianas. At the end of that year, the city and the club agreed that Valencia CF would acquire the site on a land swap basis.

When was the Nou Mestalla project presented?

The search for a general contractor for the stadium also began in 2005, and an architectural concept competition was announced. Six teams made up of recognized studios from around the world prepared their projects, and renderings were shown in December 2005.

The club originally intended to announce the winning design in March 2006, but the selection of the concept, consultations and fine-tuning of details took much longer. The final model was ceremonially unveiled on November 10, 2006 at the Museo de las Ciencias Príncipe Felipe.

The design of the new facility was prepared by Fenwick Iribarren Architects in cooperation with ArupSport and local architects. The cost of construction was estimated at 344 million euros and was to be covered entirely by the club (the funds were to come from loans and the planned sale of Estadio Mestalla for development purposes).

Where will the Nou Mestalla be built?

A convenient site for the stadium was found in the Benicalap district, in the northwestern part of the city, on avenida de las Cortes Valencianas (near the Beniferri metro station). There was an undeveloped plot of land of sufficient size for a large stadium to be built on it, moreover, it was already designated for sports facilities in the 1988 zoning plan.

The site was chosen by the city when planning a stadium for the athletics world championships. Although the club later suggested other locations, the choice of this particular plot was definitively established in 2005.

What used to be on the site of the Nou Mestalla?

When the plans for the Nou Mestalla were being drawn up, the selected plot of land contained just an empty, undeveloped meadow – with only an old, lonely chimney standing adjacent to the avenida de las Cortes Valencianas.

However, the area has quite a rich history. When the construction of the new stadium commenced, archaeological work was carried out between July and November 2007, during which interesting discoveries were made. The archaeological site was located by the old chimney, near the southwest corner of the future stadium.

The oldest finds were two Roman-era streets, dating to the 1st century BC, but many other structures were also discovered, including a 5-meter-long stone bridge from the 15th century over the former bed of the Mestalla irrigation canal and the remains of a medieval mill.

It is known that this mill, called Molino de la Marquesa, operated from the 13th to the 19th century. At the end of the 19th century it was transformed into a modern flour plant, which was later turned into a paper and cardboard factory that operated until 1920. The last remnant of this factory was a chimney that survived until the construction of the stadium (it was demolished in the fall of 2007 to be moved to another location).

What will the new Valencia CF stadium be called?

The name Nou Mestalla (New Mestalla) is commonly used to refer to the new stadium. This is, of course, a reference to the existing Estadio Mestalla, which has served the club since 1923.

It actually has another justification: the old stadium took its name from the medieval Mestalla drainage canal, whose bed ran along its south stand, but the same canal also ran through the plot of land on which the new facility is to be built.

What are the future plans for the old Estadio Mestalla?

After the new stadium is built, the old Estadio Mestalla is to be sold for development purposes. The facility will therefore be demolished, and its place will most likely be taken by new apartments. The sale of the old stadium was part of the financial plan and would cover a significant portion of the expenses for the construction of the new venue.

How is the construction of the Nou Mestalla progressing?

Construction of the Nou Mestalla began in August 2007, but the financial crisis caused work to be halted in February 2009, when almost the entire reinforced concrete skeleton was ready. The unfinished stadium continued in this state for years, although the intention to complete the project was declared all along. Work finally resumed in January 2025, and the new stadium should be ready in July 2027.

A report on the construction of the Nou Mestalla can be seen on a separate subpage

How does the construction of the Nou Mestalla look in detail?

When did construction of Valencia's new stadium begin?

Construction of the stadium officially began on August 1, 2007, with the consortium of Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas (FCC) and Grupo Bertolín becoming the main contractor for the facility. The work was expected to be completed in the second half of 2009, although it was also not ruled out that the facility would not be ready until the start of the 2010/11 season. It was also declared that the facility will host the Champions League final in 2011.

Archaeological work was carried out on the site between July and November 2007. The old chimney that stood on the site was also demolished in the fall of 2007.

Were there any serious incidents during the construction of the Nou Mestalla?

On May 26, 2008, an unfortunate accident occurred at the construction site. The scaffolding collapse resulted in the deaths of four workers. At noon on May 28, their memory was commemorated with five minutes of silence throughout the Valencian Autonomous Community.

Why was the construction of the Nou Mestalla halted?

After construction began, Valencia CF went into considerable debt. On top of that, the financial crisis began, making it impossible to sell the old stadium at the previously assumed prices. All this caused the club to sign an agreement with the contractors on February 17, 2009, under which construction was halted. By that time, almost the entire reinforced concrete skeleton of the building (without the lowest rows of the stands) had been built.

What steps have been taken to resume construction of the Nou Mestalla?

The club has not abandoned its efforts to complete the stadium. In December 2011, a partnership with Bankia was announced to guarantee funding for completing the work. However, Bankia's problems led to the cancellation of the agreement in September 2012 and the resumption of work did not take place.

In 2013, a new, slimmed-down concept for the new stadium was presented, which would reduce the cost of finishing the construction. In 2014, Singaporean businessman Peter Lim became the club's main shareholder, announcing that the new stadium would be completed by 2019, in time for Valencia CF's centennial. However, work has not resumed, even after an even more slimmed-down vision of the new facility was presented in 2017.

In May 2018, a partnership was established with the consulting firm Deloitte, and in 2019 with the ADU Mediterráneo cooperative, which was supposed to ensure the sale of the old Estadio Mestalla at the desired price. Ultimately, however, this cooperation failed.

In 2021, LaLiga authorities signed a deal with CVC Capital Partners fund to provide clubs with additional financing for infrastructure development. This created another opportunity for Valencia CF to complete the construction that had been suspended since 2009. Another architectural concept was presented in June 2022.

The unfinished stadium has been the subject of much discussion, media interest and political attention over the years. The local authorities were heavily involved and tried to help in various ways to complete the construction, but it was mainly dependent on the club's financial capacity, as it was actually its private investment.

Will the Nou Mestalla be one of the venues for the 2030 World Cup?

An additional incentive to motivate (especially local authorities) to take action to complete the construction of the Nou Mestalla was the fact that Spain was bidding to host the 2030 World Cup. One of the candidate cities was Valencia, and the matter became as real as possible after a combined candidacy of Spain, Portugal and Morocco won the race to host the tournament on October 4, 2023.

In July 2024, the stadiums where the 2030 World Cup will be played were announced, with 11 venues from Spain on the list, but missing among them was the Nou Mestalla, which had previously been included in the candidacy. The lack of selection of the Valencia-based stadium was influenced by uncertainty over the future of the development.

Despite the fact that Nou Mestalla was not on the list of stadiums for the World Cup, the club, the city authorities, as well as the Spanish football federation (RFEF) still hope that the decision can be changed, and the key to that is to bring the investment to completion. In favor of the Nou Mestalla is the fact that it would be one of the larger stadiums of the entire tournament.

How did the resumption of work on the Nou Mestalla come about?

In 2024, efforts to complete the stadium intensified. In March, the club paid the final installment to the city, completing the purchase of the land for the Nou Mestalla. The land acquisition cost the club a total of €48 million. This amount was partially repaid (equivalent to more than €25 million) in the form of a land swap, which had already been agreed upon in late 2005: in this way, the city received in return 32 plots of land, located in various locations in Valencia.

At the end of May 2024, the club announced the sale of a piece of land next to the Nou Mestalla to Atitlan Desarrollos Inmobiliarios, which raised additional funds for construction. In July, the city adopted a new urban plan, giving the club a license to resume work.

At the same time, the plan included strict conditions and deadlines that the club had to meet: the executive design was to be ready within three months, the resumption of work was to take place within six months, and the construction itself should take no longer than 30 months.

In accordance with the terms agreed with the city, the club proceeded with the project. On October 11, 2024, an executive design was presented to the City Council. In November 2024, in cooperation with Goldman Sachs, the club's debt was restructured, allowing further investment in the stadium.

On January 5, 2025, it was announced that an agreement had been reached with Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas (FCC), which was to be the main contractor for the work when it resumed. FCC was also the main contractor when work was carried out between 2007 and 2009 (then jointly with Grupo Bertolín).

Could the Nou Mestalla project have been permanently abandoned?

Since the stadium's unfinished reinforced concrete skeleton lasted in such a state for years, the idea of abandoning the project came up in discussion. In addition to the high cost of completing the facility, doubts were raised about the technical condition of the structure, which had been exposed to the elements for a long time and had not been properly maintained. An upgrade of the old Estadio Mestalla was proposed as an alternative to completing the new facility.

When will the Nou Mestalla be completed?

On January 10, 2025, the club announced the resumption of construction of the Nou Mestalla (January 12 was the deadline set by the city, January 10 (Friday) was the last working day). The work resumed after nearly 16 years of stagnation. The main contractor, FCC, was given 30 months to complete the stadium, so the facility should be ready no later than July 10, 2027 (before the start of the 2027/28 season).

What will be the cost of building the Nou Mestalla?

It is estimated that the completion of the Nou Mestalla will cost at least €270 million. Together with the €170 million previously invested, the total cost will be no less than €440 million.

What does the Nou Mestalla project entail?

What was the original version of the Nou Mestalla project?

The first vision of the Nou Mestalla, unveiled in November 2006, was very spectacular. The new stadium was to hold 73,200 spectators, which would have made it the third largest in Spain (after Camp Nou and Estadio Santiago Bernabéu).

The fully covered stands were to be divided into three rings. Attention was drawn to the original top edge of the highest tier, matching the parabolic segments of the roof.

Externally, the building was to be an imposing, oval-shaped body interspersed with glazing, recreating Valencia's topography in a simplified manner, with the symbolic course of the Turia River and modules intended to represent the city's 16 districts.

The final shape of the project was influenced by the modern Allianz Arena, which was inaugurated in 2005. The closed, oval form of the Nou Mestalla was in some ways reminiscent of Munich's famous “tire”.

What changes were made to the Nou Mestalla concept?

After the construction of the stadium was halted in early 2009, consideration began on the possible ways for its completion. One of the obvious things that could have been done was to trim the design to reduce costs. Successive, increasingly leaner versions of the Nou Mestalla were presented in 2013, 2017, 2022 and 2025.

2013

At this stage, the stadium was still to retain its striking exterior, although it was noticeably impoverished: the form of the façade was simplified, and the roof area was reduced so that it covered not 100%, but 75% of the auditorium.

2017

In 2017, the creation of a spectacular body around the stands, was abandoned, and they were now to be covered from the outside with mesh, composites and glass. The whole was to be surrounded by a row of columns supporting a roof in a new form, which again covered the entire auditorium.

2022

This time, the building's exterior was to be finished with an airy, balconied façade, and the elegant flat roof from above was to be covered with photovoltaic panels.

2025

On the occasion of the resumption of construction, another modification was presented: the aesthetic roofing was replaced by a cheaper version made of white membrane, without photovoltaic panels.

What does the current version of the Nou Mestalla project entail?

All of the design changes were made after the three levels of stands, topped by distinctive parabolas, had already been built, and the modifications were mainly to the exterior design and the canopy.

After the modifications, the stadium will still have an oval form and will be finished with an airy, balconied façade, reminiscent of the Mediterranean style. The balconies will be covered with silver ribbons that will circle the stands around. Access towers will also be built on the outside.

The entire structure will be surrounded by a row of narrow columns, on which the roof will rest. The roof will cover all the seats in the stands, and its sheathing will be mostly made of white membrane. Under the roof there will be floodlights and two video screens. The roof structure was designed by Schlaich Bergermann & Partner.

The three- tiered stands will be equipped with orange and black seats, and will have a capacity of 70,044 spectators. The main stand will be located on the west side, and a huge image of a bat (the club's symbol), arranged with black seats, will be created opposite it. The stadium will feature hospitality areas, restaurants, a club store and museum, as well as parking lots.

What will be built around the Nou Mestalla?

Just behind the stadium's north stand, on land purchased by Atitlan, two tall (20- and 16-story) interconnected buildings are to be built to house a hotel, offices and other commercial space.

Behind the east stand of the Nou Mestalla, where there is the most open space, the club intends to build a small sports complex (Polideportivo de Benicalap), which is to include a sports hall and an indoor swimming pool.