Stadionul Rapid-Giulești – stadium description

How did the new Rapid Bucharest stadium get built?

The contract for the construction of Rapid Bucharest's new stadium was signed on November 1, 2018. The main contractor was a consortium of three companies, Construcții Erbașu, Concelex and Terra Gaz Construct. The project was carried out under the design and build formula. The investment was managed by Compania Națională de Investiții (CNI) on behalf of the Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration. The architectural design was the responsibility of Construcţii Erbaşu SA and Popp & Asociaţii SRL, in cooperation with other parties.

The value of the contract was more than 98.3 million lei (this amount increased to more than 185.3 million lei at the end). The investment was financed by government funds, as part of the improvement of the infrastructure of the leading football venues in the capital (the same programme also funded the construction of the new Steaua stadium and the Arcul de Triumf stadium). The venue was due to reach functionality in May 2020, so that it could become one of the training facilities during Euro 2020.

How did the construction of Rapid Bucharest's new stadium proceed?

The facility was to replace Rapid's previous stadium, the outdated Stadionul Giuleşti-Valentin Stănescu, which opened in 1939. In January 2019, demolition of the old stadium began and construction of the new arena began in its place. Development suffered a significant delay and the venue was not ready for Euro 2020, even though the event was postponed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

What was the name given to Rapid Bucharest's new stadium?

Initially, the new venue was to be called Rapid Arena. However, in 2021 it was decided to name it Stadionul Rapid-Giulești, similar to that of its predecessor, although already without Valentin Stănescu as patron. The member Giulești refers to the name of the district where the stadium is located.

When was the new Stadionul Rapid-Giulești opened?

The official inauguration of the stadium took place on March 26, 2022. The opening ceremony included a match between legends and a laser show, and the highlight of the evening was Rapid's friendly match against Politehnica Timișoara (1:0). The first league match at the new facility took place on April 2, 2022 (Rapid - FC Botoșani 3:0). On May 19, 2022, the final match of the Romanian Cup was played at the venue (Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe - FC Voluntari 2:1), and in June 2022, the first two matches at Rapid's new stadium, in the League of Nations, were played by the Romanian national team.

What are the features of Stadionul Rapid-Giulești?

The stadium has a football-specific layout, with stands located behind the end lines of the pitch. Between the stand behind the north goal and the pitch, there is still a straight, 60-metre long running track with four tracks. This is a reference to the old stadium, where the space behind the north goal was also covered with tartan. The arena's pitch is equipped with a hybrid turf, drainage and heating system.

The auditorium of the stadium is fully covered. The main stand on the west side has VIP boxes and has been divided into two tiers. The capacity of the facility is 14,050 spectators. The seats in the stands are in three maroon shades, a number of white chairs form the inscriptions "Rapid", "1923" (the year the club was founded) and the Rapid logo. The upper sections are inclined at a slightly steeper angle.

The facility is located on a rather tight plot of land, bounded on the west by the street that runs through it, on the east by the railway tracks, on the north by the sports hall and on the south by the theatre building and the indoor swimming pool. The spatial constraints significantly influenced the shape of the stadium.

As the railway tracks run very close to the north-east corner, this angle is clearly 'truncated'. For symmetry, a similar treatment has been applied to the south-east corner, although there is still some open space behind it. The eastern stand differs considerably in shape from the others and is also noticeably lower than them. The division of the main stand into two tiers has enabled some space to be gained.

The space underneath the auditorium has been used for numerous purposes, including eight training areas, a 60-metre indoor track, a small bowling alley and hotel rooms. The building also contains offices, changing rooms, toilets, storage areas, a conference room, catering facilities and space for the club shop and museum. With the additional functions, the facility is expected to be used throughout the week, not just on match days. The stadium has 184 parking spaces, 164 of which are underground.

From the outside, the building is covered with a non-uniform façade. The building is clad in vertical slats, white and black panels, has lots of windows, and a prominent, night-lit sign with the name of the stadium has been placed on the exterior of the main stand. Numerous concrete pillars rise above the structure, supporting the roof structure.

The roof is made of trapezoidal sheet metal and finished with narrow glazed sections. The canopy is fitted with floodlights; as the covering of the eastern stand is slightly lower, a special frame has been fitted there, so that the spotlights in this section are at the same height as the others. The floodlights produce a light intensity of 2000 lux. Under the roof, above the stands behind the goalposts, there are two LED screens.