Case study
Barcelona Stadium

A multipurpose stadium by HOK will begin construction in 2017, with the aim of creating a new sporting and community hub in the area around Barcelona FC's Camp Nou stadium, to be renamed the Espai Barca sports district. The new 12,000 capacity Palau Blaugrana scheme, by HOK and Barcelona's TAC Arquitectes, won an international competition run by FC Barcelona Sports Club, thanks to its 'remarkable innovation' and its 'permeability, flexibility and personality'. It replaces the 7,500-seat Palau Blaugrana, opened in 1971.

The curvilinear form of the arena includes an elegant, metallic facade with transparencies that give fans sightlines to the surroundings. The landscaping features concourses, where the public can enjoy a street-festival atmosphere, with outdoor patios, plazas and green spaces, aimed at enhancing the atmosphere for fans before and after matches, and facilitate a year-round activity programme.

The design for the arena is flexible (there is retractable seating) to accommodate different sporting events, while also meeting the requirements of Euroleague basketball. Seating is close to the action, to create a dynamic atmosphere.

The designers calibrated the venue and bowl geometries to achieve the best possible results for viewing quality and acoustics, and there will be 24 VIP boxes and four sky bars/lounges.

Within the new 35-ha site, the arena will be joined by an adjacent court with capacity for 2,000 spectators, an 800-seat ice rink, and two football fields plus training facilities for the FCBEscola academy.

Client FC Barcelona
Architect HOK and TAC Arquitectes
Cost €90m
Schedule Construction starts 2017,
Completion 2019

Case Study
Nouveau Stade De Bordeaux, France

Architectural clarity and simplicity characterise Herzog & de Meuron's design for the Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux, creating a landmark venue for this French region. Designed as a multi-functional stadium that will host football and rugby matches as well as major music concerts and corporate events, it appears as a luminous white, semi-transparent box, complementing the surrounding geometries of the existing, Eighties built Stadium Velodrome, and the nearby Floral Park and Bordeaux woods. Inspired by the local treescape, an arboreal exterior of white, slender columns surrounds all four sides of the structure, interwoven with a ribbon-like promenade of food stalls and toilet facilities around the perimeter of the arena. A sharp-edged, rectangular roof steps down to create the curved bowl of the stadium arena.

This arena features two tiers of stepped seating sheltered by the interior canopy. The idea is that every seat will have a spectacular view. But views behind into the perimeter are blocked by acoustic panels, in order to reduce distraction and improve sound quality, whether for chanting rugby fans or cheering rock lovers.

The intention was to inspire 'a sense of monumentality and gracefulness,' according to the architects.

VIP rooms, media areas and team changing rooms are all contained within a plinth set directly below the performance bowl. There is also a 200-seat restaurant and team merchandise shop.

The stadium structure also houses conference facilities, including 9,000 sq m of reception areas, a 250-seat auditorium, 700 sq m of retail space plus, within the campus, 60 lodges that can accommodate up to 1,000 guests.

Landscaping is provided by Michel Desvigne, with a scheme that complements the vertical, slender rhythm of the stadium structure. He has also added a community sports area, including basketball and tennis courts, plus a children's playground.

Client City of Bordeaux
Architecture Herzog & De Meuron
Executive architect Groupe 6
Capacity 42,115 seats
Gross area 18.6ha (Stadium 4.6ha)
Concept and construction costs €183m
Landscaping Michel Desvigne Paysagiste