The new La Romareda project is entering its decisive phase. By the end of June, the consulting firm Idom must deliver a document that will detail the design of the new stadium, where Real Zaragoza will play. In recent weeks, the architects and engineers responsible for the project had to adjust their approach to eliminate phased construction.

One of a kind in the world?

In an exclusive interview with El Periódico, Idom representatives revealed one of the characteristic features of the new La Romareda: an internal street that will run almost the entire circumference of the stadium, providing it with natural light. It will simply be another street in the city, explain Fernando Martínez, Eduardo Aragüés, and Antonio Lorén, the three heads of Idom's office in Zaragoza. This internal road will be six meters wide and located between the stands and the building designated for service and commercial purposes. So far, no visualizations of this space have been published.

As the final project develops, new spaces are being defined that were not initially planned. An example is the hospitality zone, accessible to premium ticket holders, which will allow access to the press room on the second floor to see players answering journalists' questions. This is something no other stadium in the world has, say the architects.

Idom explains that the purpose of such features is to help maintain the stadium’s profitability. Another example is another premium zone that will allow fans to see players from inside the tunnel leading from the locker room to the field. There will be seven or eight different types of tickets available, they say, confident of their success.

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Minor adjustments made

The stadium design also considers acoustics, which is currently very important due to noise issues faced by residents around the renovated Bernabéu. With the new configuration, sound will reflect better within the stadium and not escape as easily as before. It will be better. However, on match days and during concerts, there will be noise. But concerts and events will not be as frequent at La Romareda as they are at Bernabéu.

Changing the plans regarding the construction phases meant modifying the project, but the ability to build the new stadium without having to adapt it to matchday requirements significantly reduces any risks.

Demolition plan in place

Currently, the countdown to the demolition of the old La Romareda is underway. The first to go will be the clubhouse and the stands behind the south goal. The Temporary Union of Companies (UTE) OHLA-Deltapunt, commissioned to demolish the so-called stage 1A, already has an asbestos removal plan ready, which will take 15 to 20 days to approve. A few days ago, workers from this company were at La Romareda with representatives from Idom to analyze potential problems and details before finalizing any plan. The asbestos on the roof, as explained by UTE, should not be a problem, as those responsible for these tasks specialize in and are accustomed to removing fiber cement panels.

City Planning Councilor Víctor Serrano confirms that the company has already presented a complete plan for the field and the demolition and reconstruction of the south stand. This means that demolition permits and work on the stands can be issued in June. By the end of the month, the execution project will also be ready, on which the prestigious architect César Azcárate’s team at Idom is tirelessly working.

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When will the stadium be ready?

According to preliminary plans, the construction of the new south stand will begin at the end of July. The schedule will be very tight, especially considering the company has promised to complete the work on the stand behind the goal three weeks ahead of the deadlines set by the company formed by the City Council, DGA, and Real Zaragoza, which allowed it to win against the other five companies in the competition.

The work will be closely monitored, with monthly reports to quickly identify any potential problems. In the initial phase, the stadium will lose about 7,000 seats. To ensure the safety of fans, space-limiting walls and a large curtain will be placed to physically and visually limit the area.

La Romareda bids farewell to the second league with the highest attendance. The stadium attracted the most spectators at this level of competition, averaging 22,535 fans, a 21% increase compared to the 2022/2023 season. The new stadium is expected to be ready by the end of 2027 or early 2028 and will be able to accommodate close to 43,000 spectators.

© IDOM