White, irregular and towering over the urban landscape. That's the winning design called "cloud" that will turn the Estadio Gran Canaria into an arena worthy of the World Cup and Primera Division. The company responsible for the concept is the same one that designed the new Bernabeu.

Multifunctional cloud in the Canary Islands

UD Las Palmas’ stadium already has a final design. As the island's president Aridany Romero announced on Friday, the jury formed by members of the island's authorities has selected the vision of L35, which became famous for creating the concept for the new Bernabeu. The project, named La nube (cloud in Spanish) will transform Estadio Gran Canaria, giving it an irregular but elegant white facade and a canopy that will fully cover the stands.

These will increase its capacity by 12,000 seats to as many as 44,484 seats, making the facility one of the 10 largest stadiums in Spain. Its function will not be limited to a football arena, however, as the stadium is expected to attract concerts by music stars and become a key center of the island of Gran Canaria in terms of sports, culture and business.

© UD Las Palmas | 9 architectural studios presented their designs to the authorities. They selected L35’s vision on Friday.

Partial demolition, partial expansion

Before that happens, however, the contractor will demolish the roof over the west stand. After that, he will widen the northern part of the stadium, which is significantly smaller than the rest, to then bring both ends - Curva and Naciente - closer to the pitch. With the new layout, the Curva will gain a new third level, and the east grandstand will have a new VIP floor. In the final stage, both the facade and canopy will be built.

Meanwhile, plazas around the stadium will be built, improving access for fans. The interiors will also be remodeled - the new facility will have room for a fan zone, restaurants, a sportsbar, a sports innovation hub or conference rooms. According to the club, the stadium will even be equipped with a 360° video board.

The goal is to have the stadium ready well before the final date which is set one year before the start of the World Cup - July 2029. In a year's time work will begin, and after three or four years we will be using a first-class facility [....] that will be one of the best in Spanish soccer and in the top 20 or 30 in the world, Aridany Romero promised.