Nueva Romareda – design description

How does the design of the new La Romareda look in a nutshell?

The first plans for a new stadium for Real Zaragoza began to emerge as early as the turn of the 20th century, but various political bargains, as well as the financial crisis, thwarted more and more new projects.

The breakthrough came only in connection with Spain's candidacy (along with Portugal and Morocco) to host the 2030 World Cup. Zaragoza decided to seize the opportunity to receive World Cup matches, so another design was created, and after the bid proved victorious, funds were found for its implementation.

The new facility is to be built to replace the old La Romareda stadium. The stadium will be a football-specific facility with a capacity of more than 43,000 spectators, equipped with the latest technology and meeting all conditions for hosting top-level events.

The designers, inspired by the cool northerly winds blowing in the area (the so-called cierzo), have given the rectangular body a bit of dynamism, using subtle convexities and concaves. The building will be covered by a lightweight roof, which will shield not only the entire auditorium, but also the observation deck located at the top.

Construction began in July 2024, but the work is limited in scope until the summer of 2025, involving only the south stand and the demolition of buildings around the stadium. Only after the 2024/25 season Real Zaragoza will move to a temporary stadium, and builders will be given full operational flexibility. The new stadium is expected to be ready in June 2027.

How have plans for the new La Romareda been shaping up?

How did the old La Romareda stadium look like?

La Romareda Stadium was built between 1956 and 1957, and after investments in the 1970s and 1980s, the facility was expanded to its final form. At the end of the 20th century, the last standing places were eliminated (installation of seats).

The facility had a rectangular, football-specific layout, with a slightly curved stands behind the goals. Behind the corners, four lighting masts were set up. The upper parts of the stands were covered, and the capacity of the venue was more than 33,000 spectators. In the 21st century, the facility was considered outdated and in need of comprehensive renovation.

The stadium belonged to the city and was rented by the football club Real Zaragoza, which hosted it from the very beginning. Since moving to La Romareda, Real has played almost exclusively in the Primera División, only after relegation in 2013 came an extended period of playing in the second division.

The stadium hosted matches in the 1982 World Cup and the 1992 Olympic football tournament, played host to three Copa del Rey finals, and occasionally hosted the Spanish national team. In addition, the facility has been an arena for music concerts.

Due to the construction of the new La Romareda, the old stadium will be completely demolished. In the summer of 2024, when work began, the stand behind the south goal was demolished, but the remaining stands were left in use for the entire 2024/25 season. After that season, the demolition of the stadium will be completed to make room for the new facility.

What were the previous plans to build a new stadium for Real Zaragoza?

A bid to host Euro 2004

At the end of the 20th century, Spain was in the race to host Euro 2004, with La Romareda among the 15 stadiums put forward as a candidate. On January 20, 1999, a UEFA delegation visited the Zaragoza stadium and found it to be non-compliant (similar objections also applied to Estadio de Balaídos in Vigo).

At the time, the city council promised that if Spain was selected, a new facility would be built in Zaragoza, which would be financed through the sale of the plot of land with the old stadium. In October 1999, however, UEFA chose Portugal's bid, and the new stadium in Zaragoza was not proceeded with.

2002: Ricardo Bofill

More concrete plans to build a new La Romareda emerged during José Atarés' term as mayor (alcalde) of Zaragoza (2000–2003). Atarés announced the construction of the new stadium just a few months after his election, in September 2000.

An architectural competition was announced, which was decided in December 2002. The winning concept was created by the design office of Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill. The stadium was to hold 42,000 spectators and cost €47 million.

The facility was planned to be built in the southwestern suburb of Valdespartera. The project was to be financed through the sale of the existing stadium, which was to be replaced by nearly a thousand new apartments.

The project was the subject of political wrangling, with the PP and PAR parties in favor of it, while the PSOE and CHA were opposed. In the summer of 2003, after local elections, the opposition proved too strong and the project collapsed.

The design of Real Zaragoza's new stadium by Ricardo Bofill can be seen on a separate subpage

2004: Estudio Lamela

The new mayor, Juan Alberto Belloch, was also in favor of construction, but the stadium was to be built on the site of the old La Romareda. A new architectural competition was held, the results of which were announced in December 2004, and the winner was Estudio Lamela from Madrid.

The new stadium was to receive covered, two-tiered stands with a capacity of 42,600 spectators, with an extensive glass-enclosed VIP area to the west. The design featured an angular body and numerous commercial areas on the first floor. As an option, a tall building with offices, a hotel and stores was to be built along the main stand.

The concession for construction was awarded to a consortium of Sacyr and Acciona. A construction schedule was drawn up: preliminary work was to begin on April 17, 2006 and go into full swing after the season ended; the new facility was to be ready in March 2008, still before the inauguration of Expo 2008.

However, on April 17, 2006, the day that workers were already beginning preliminary work, the court, as a precautionary measure, ordered a halt to all activities in connection with appeals against the stadium's construction.

Perhaps not coincidentally, the petitions were filed by the PAR and PP parties, the same ones that had been blocked by the opposition from moving forward with the previous stadium project. In 2007, the court upheld the appeals and canceled the construction contract, so the project was abandoned.

The design of Real Zaragoza's new stadium by Estudio Lamela can be seen on a separate subpage

2008: Joaquín Sicilia

After the failure of the previous project, on February 1, 2008, the city council decided to build a new stadium in a different location, in the southeastern suburb of San José. Another competition was held, which was won in July 2008 by a studio led by Zaragoza-based architect Joaquín Sicilia.

The vision looked very spectacular. The stadium was to be built in the form of a rounded block, resistant to the strong winds (cierzo) blowing in the area. The facility would be enhanced with extensive commercial facilities, with an Andalusian patio at its center. Illuminated at night, the facade would be covered with perforated panels with mudéjar-style ornaments.

The stadium was to hold 43,000 people, with the possibility of expanding with additional mobile stands, up to a capacity of 50,000 spectators. The possibility of building new apartments next to it was also assumed. The cost of building the stadium was estimated at €125 million. Work was originally scheduled to begin in 2009, but the investment was halted by the global financial crisis.

The project was also part of Spain and Portugal's bid to host the 2018 World Cup, but on December 2, 2010 the candidacy lost out to Russia's bid. After that, the subject of building a new stadium went quiet and was eventually abandoned.

The design of Real Zaragoza's new stadium by Sicilia y Asociados Arquitectura can be seen on a separate subpage

How was the current design for the new La Romareda created?

What prompted the resumption of work on plans for a new stadium for Real Zaragoza?

The issue of a new stadium has resurfaced in connection with Spain's candidacy to (co)host the 2030 World Cup. The city authorities have partnered with renowned architecture studio IDOM and in June 2022 announced that Zaragoza would be one of the candidate cities in Spain's bid.

On July 14, 2022, the Spanish Football Federation officially presented the 15 stadiums proposed for the World Cup, from among which it was assumed that 11 venues would ultimately be selected. Among the 15 candidates was the (new) La Romareda.

The new stadium was intended to be built on the site of the old La Romareda, but other locations were also considered before a final decision was made.

How was it initially intended to bring about the construction of a new stadium for Real Zaragoza?

In early 2023, the city granted a 75-year lease for La Romareda. Real Zaragoza had been seeking such approval for years; it was intended to allow them to invest significantly in the facility with private investors. It had previously been estimated that the new stadium would cost less than €140 million to build, but it should also generate €14.7 million in profits annually, so such an investment was expected to be profitable for the club.

To make the process transparent, the lease was to be awarded through an open competition, but it was apparent that Real would be the only interested party. What's important, if the 75-year lease was granted, the new stadium was to be built solely with private funds.

Meanwhile, in April 2023, the Podemos party challenged the legality of the entire undertaking, taking the appeal to court. The Podemos party's motion caused the club to drop its application for a 75-year lease in September 2023.

When was the latest design for the new La Romareda created?

IDOM presented an architectural concept for the new La Romareda back in May 2023. However, since the club in September 2023 withdrew its efforts for a long-term lease, the project once again stalled.

What was the ultimate impetus for building a new La Romareda?

FIFA then came to the rescue, announcing on October 4, 2023 that Spain had been awarded the 2030 World Cup (along with Morocco and Portugal, as well as three South American countries, which are to host only one game each at the start of the tournament: Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay).

Faced with the very real prospect of bringing World Cup matches to Zaragoza, the local authorities sprang into action. The matter seemed fairly obvious: if the new stadium is built, the city will almost certainly be one of the hosts of the tournament, while without a new venue there is no chance of that.

As late as the end of October 2023, the city authorities and the Autonomous Community of Aragon, together with Real Zaragoza, agreed to jointly finance the construction of a new stadium. On December 21, 2023, the three entities formed a company called La Nueva Romareda SL, which would handle the construction and subsequent management of the new facility.

The club's contribution to the construction of the stadium will be partially covered by a loan obtained through an agreement between LaLiga and the CVC Capital Partners fund.

Will Zaragoza host the 2030 World Cup matches?

Thanks to the steps taken, there were no problems in granting Zaragoza the status of one of the host cities of the 2030 World Cup. In July 2024, when the so-called “bid book” was published, the new La Romareda was among the 11 venues from Spain; the choice of a Zaragoza stadium was also confirmed in December 2024, when FIFA finally approved Spain, Portugal and Morocco to host the event.

The new La Romareda is tentatively scheduled to host matches up to the Round of 16 during the 2030 World Cup.

When was the plan to build a temporary stadium for Real Zaragoza conceived?

Initially, it was assumed that the new stadium would be built between 2024 and 2028, and that the work would be done in stages, stand by stand, so that it would be possible for Real Zaragoza to continuously play matches at the same site.

In the spring of 2024, however, the idea of building a temporary stadium, to which the club would move for the duration of the reconstruction in order to speed up the whole process, was born. In the end, it was this “plan B” that was decided upon.

Construction of the temporary stadium is scheduled for the first half of 2025, and it is expected to serve Real for two seasons (2025/26 and 2026/27). Then the construction of the new La Romareda will begin in full force (limited work had already begun in the summer of 2024).

The temporary stadium, nicknamed “Mini Romareda”, will hold over 20,000 spectators and will be built in the northern part of the city, replacing the parking lots (Parking Norte de la Expo) located next to the Corona de Aragón athletics stadium.

The design of the temporary stadium for Real Zaragoza can be seen on a separate subpage

How is the construction of the new La Romareda going?

A report on the construction of the new La Romareda can be seen on a separate subpage

Construction of the new La Romareda was inaugurated in July 2024, but for the first season, work is to be carried out on a limited basis and only involves the south stand and the demolition of buildings around the stadium. It won't be until the summer of 2025 that Real will move to a temporary stadium, and construction will begin in full force. The new stadium is expected to be ready in June 2027.

When was construction of the new La Romareda inaugurated?

On July 8, 2024, a special press conference was held at the stadium with the participation of the city's mayor, Natalia Chueca, among others, officially inaugurating the construction of the new stadium.

What work is scheduled for the first year of construction of the new La Romareda?

During the first year of the project, works are of a limited scope. First and foremost, they concern the demolition of the stand behind the south goal (Gol Sur) and the start of construction of a new stand in its place. The rest of the auditorium remains open to fans, and Real is expected to play its matches in the old stadium through the 2024/25 season.

Two buildings standing adjacent to La Romareda were also demolished at the start of construction. Only in December 2024, after preliminary work had already begun, a contractor was selected to take on the main part of the project.

What does the initial construction period of the new La Romareda look like in detail?

In the summer of 2024, the old stand behind the south goal was demolished. In its place, the foundations for the new stand and its underground floors then began to be built.

At the beginning of the work, two buildings adjacent to the stadium were also demolished: the headquarters of the Aragon Chamber of Accounts, which was adjacent to the main stand, and the urban planning board building, standing near the southwest corner (the so-called “Cubo”).

The work, which lasted for the first half of the 2024/25 season, was carried out by the OHLA-Deltapunt 3000 consortium. The tender for the main part of the work was announced in September 2024, and was awarded on December 13, 2024, with the winner being the OHLA and Altuna y Uria consortium. Starting in February 2025, the newly selected contractor is to proceed with construction of the new south stand.

What is the main part of the work to build the new La Romareda expected to look like?

After the 2024/25 season ends and Real moves out to a temporary stadium, work is expected to start in full force. In July 2025, demolition of the remaining parts of the old stadium (the stands in the west, north and east) and construction of more new stands in their place will begin. The new stadium is expected to be ready in June 2027, so that Real can play in it from the start of the 2027/28 season.

How much is it expected to cost to build the new La Romareda?

The main contractor offered a bid of €124.5 million, about 10% lower than the city's target, so that the cost of the entire project could be less than €140 million (not counting the costs associated with the temporary stadium, which will amount to an additional several million), although at the start of the work €151 million was expected to be spent.

What are the assumptions behind the design of the new La Romareda?

The basic premise of the plan is to build a completely new stadium to replace Real Zaragoza's current facility, La Romareda. The project was developed by the internationally renowned studio IDOM, with César Azcárate as chief architect.

The new stadium, like its predecessor, will have a football-specific character. The capacity of the new venue will be 43,110 spectators (compared to 33,600 in the old stadium).

The stands will be divided into two tiers, with a lower floor situated below ground level. Along the pitch, between the two tiers there will be additional narrow balconies with VIP seating and a presidential box.

The facility will be equipped with extensive utility facilities, and the main stand will receive five floors above ground and two underground. The stadium will include a club store and a museum.

The designers, inspired by the cool northerly winds blowing in the area (known as the cierzo), have given the rectangular building some dynamism, using gentle convexities and concaves. The building will be covered by a lightweight roof, which will shield not only the entire auditorium, but also the observation deck located at the top. The dominant colors in the stadium are to be Real Zaragoza's club colors, blue and white.

The stadium will be equipped with the latest technology and will be designed to host football matches and cultural events at the highest level. The facility is to become a new showcase not only for the club, but also for the city and the entire region.