Nou Mestalla – design description

Iinitial concept for the new stadium along Avenida de les Corts Valencianes was presented in 2006 by renowned architect Mark Fenwick. Spain's most impressive stadium plan at that time comprised amazing facades cut with glass surfaces, symbolically resembling the city's division to districts. Inside three tiers of seating were planned, offering 73,200 seats in total.

The project was priced at €344 million and saw groundbreaking in the summer of 2007. Initially work was expected to end in May 2009, but by March only the main concrete structure was ready and proved to be the last phase for years. Valencia CF suffered from heavy debt and couldn't afford the remaining works.

Despite many attempts to restart the project, no progress was done until late 2013. That's when the project was updated, adjusted to difficult financial conditions. Overall cost was cut to just €200 million through simplified facades, roof covering 75% of fans instead of 100% and capacity downscaled to 61,500.

In 2017, another, even more trimmed-down concept was presented. The compact facade was abandoned as a cost-saving measure. The updated vision envisaged a facade covered only with mesh, composites and glass.

The roof was also rethought, and this time it was to be made more economically, using wire rope technology and based on a structure independent of the stands' structure. The cost of completing the arena according to the new design was estimated to be around €100 million. Ultimately, this vision could not be implemented as well.

In 2021 there was another opportunity to complete the investment in the form of additional funding available through LaLiga's agreement with CVC Capital Partners. In June 2022, yet another concept for the completion of the Nou Mestalla was presented. This time, the venue's exterior is to be finished with an airy, terraced facade, while the tiered roof will be covered from above with photovoltaic panels, creating the largest canopy of its kind in Europe.

Initially, the capacity of the stands will not be used to its full potential, with 49,000 seats available for fans. However, the auditorium's capacity can be increased to 70,000 spectators in the future if required. Work is scheduled to resume in October 2022, with completion scheduled for summer 2025.