New $1.5BN Bernabéu vs. $1BN Camp Nou

Two football giants face off twice a year in one of the most anticipated matches in world sport: El Clásico. Real Madrid and Barcelona share a rivalry that dates back to before La Liga existed. But behind the goals, the classifications and the players, the rivalry is much deeper than sport: two cultures, two cities and two stadiums: the Camp Nou and the Santiago Bernabéu. Now, both are undertaking renovations that are approaching the billion-dollar mark. Just like their on-field strategy, each club is taking a radically different approach to their stadium. Camp Nou is creating a three-level stadium that maximizes light, expands hallways and offers unrivaled views of Barcelona, ​​taking advantage of the city's picturesque location with a "Mediterranean" design.  600 kilometers away, the Bernabèu moves in the opposite direction with a huge and striking exterior.

Surrounding the stadium is 60,000 square meters of curved steel, and inside is the world's first retractable pitch that runs underground.  Real Madrid wants to be one step ahead on the pitch, below the pitch and in the industry, following a precedent of innovation that it established more than 80 years ago and that Barcelona has worked hard to keep pace with. A tale of two cities Real Madrid set the model for the modern football business in the 1940s by developing a state-of-the-art stadium. The Santiago Bernabéu quickly increased its fan base from 6,000 to 41,000, generating a huge amount of revenue. Barcelona quickly followed suit and built their own stadium.

Completed in 1957, the Camp de Les Corts opened its doors exactly ten years after the Bernabéu. It was also quickly renamed Camp Nou, which in Catalan means "The New Ground." The next major improvements to both stadiums did not occur until preparations for Spain to host the 1982 World Cup. At the Bernabéu, changes to the roof coverings were installed to protect more spectators and at the Camp Nou they were significantly expanded. the stands, raising the total capacity to 121,401 people. That made it the largest stadium in the world for any sport, not just soccer. This number was reduced to adapt the seating to new building regulations just before the year 2000.

Shortly after, a second wave of improvements was launched at the Bernabéu. Seating and VIP areas were built, with the installation of hospitality services and new commercial spaces.   This was the beginning of the Bernabéu's expansion into a "multidisciplinary business." It was at that moment when Real Madrid began to create the greatest improvement in its history, one that has already been in process for more than a decade and a half. But is the new round of renewals still a competition for Spanish supremacy? Or why they are renovating their stadiums now?  A look at the future Real Madrid's current plan is to "prepare the stadium for the future" by transforming it into an "architectural icon." However, the road has not been easy.  Bogged down by zoning disputes, it wasn't until 2017 that the project was finally approved and a $600 million loan was obtained.  Since then, the final cost of the project has skyrocketed to $1.5 billion.

For comparison, that's more than four times the cost of Inter Miami's new stadium. Real Madrid hopes that, in the long term, the improvements will pay for themselves, providing an additional $217 million each year in attendance, hospitality and parking. Growth is also motivated by money in Barcelona, ​​where the club aims to restructure itself into a profitable business after years of financial decline. A remodeled Camp Nou could generate a similar amount of additional income. Plans for the reconstruction of Barcelona have been in the works for years and were first presented in 2007. These were interrupted by a global financial crisis, management fallout and ongoing financial problems. meaning it didn't get the green light until 2022.

With Real Madrid and Barcelona's plans coming to fruition, it's finally time to move from the sketchbook to the real world. So how far along is each project? And how did they come up with such radically distinctive designs? The Philosophy of the New Bernabéu Let's start with Madrid, where the concept began with the decision to blend in with the city that surrounds the stadium. The philosophy behind the new Santiago Bernabéu was to create a new, vibrant and energetic design for the club while avoiding the stadium becoming too imposing. It may seem strange because the biggest change is the most visible.

Wrapping around the old building is a completely unique curved façade that covers 60,000 square meters. In total, 7,500 steel slats create an asymmetrical and "fluid" envelope that encloses the original stadium. To make this possible, the engineering company created this special design using a digital model of the stadium itself.  During the day, the geometric shapes of the "steel skin" reflect unique patterns. At night, the design truly comes to life, projecting images onto the exterior of the stadium through a specially installed LED lighting system.  In addition, it has a new retractable roof that opens or closes in just 15 minutes.

To reduce the Bernabéu's impact on the surrounding neighborhood, the steel structure is designed to reduce the noise level coming from the fans inside.  The construction works were supported by a new tunnel, under the stands, which simplifies the operation of the facilities without affecting traffic at street level. However, that does not mean that the development of the Bernabéu has been easy.  Work began in 2019 and was expected to be completed in 2022, but COVID delayed this schedule by more than a year. So when Real Madrid returned to play at the Bernabéu in September 2021, construction was still ongoing.

However, as impressive as the façade is, the feature that makes this stadium truly revolutionary lies hidden beneath.  An innovative field The new Bernabéu is equipped with a fully retractable field, the first of its kind that works from the top down. 12   units on a rail system under the grass, each 15 meters wide, join together to form a football field where the joints become seamless. When the playing surface is not needed, these panels are removable using an automatic retractable system.  Each panel is lowered underground one by one, stacking on top of each other in separate trays. The state-of-the-art storage facility is called a hypogeum and descends 35 meters underground, acting as a greenhouse to maintain optimal temperatures, fully equipped with an irrigation system.

When necessary, workers can also tend lawns by hand.  Retractable fields at other stadiums roll underneath and expand the footprint of the stadium. However, this was not a practical solution for the Santiago Bernabéu, which is located on the busy Paseo de la Castellana street, home to the city's financial center.  So the engineers had to come up with a new system and it turned out they had a brilliant solution. With this new field, the stadium will also be able to switch to different events in a single day. Making it possible to host concerts and different sports in the same weekend.  The retractable pitch is a low-key feature of Real Madrid's upgraded home, but how will it improve the actual fan experience?

Looking up from the stands, fans will see a 360-degree scoreboard, just below the roof. Curved screens wrap around the entire upper level of the structure to display highlights, information and graphics. Above, ten levels above the ground, and along 800 meters around the stadium, the so-called 'Skywalk' will be located. With seating on terraces, bars and cafes, one side will face the countryside and the other will have great views of the city.   A new shopping center, museum and restaurants are being built outside the stadium.  However, all these advances have come at a considerable cost. In 2022, the budget rose to $950 million, before a third loan in September last year raised the final price to $1.5 billion.  Even with such a huge budget, their rivals in Barcelona have found a way to outspend them.

But what could Barça have planned to overtake Real Madrid and make the development worth it in the end? The next generation of Camp Nou The philosophy behind the ambitious design of Camp Nou is to integrate the stadium with the surrounding city and take advantage of the warm climate. Unlike the imposing bold exterior of the Santiago Bernabéu, Camp Nou is removing its façade entirely.  Divided into three levels, each of which will offer views of Barcelona, ​​the design is based on the "Mediterranean character" of the city.  These three levels are stacked on top of each other with basically no façade.   It's a pretty basic approach and completely different to the Bernabéu.  However, the three levels are not all new: two stands will be retained, which are still used in the original construction from 1957.

Barça wants to preserve as many of the stadium's historic features as possible while expanding it for the future. Attached above the original stands will be a completely new third stand which will alleviate pedestrian congestion and make all parts of the stadium more accessible. These will be steeper than the original stands, giving greater visibility to the field and improving the experience for loyal Barça fans.  From above, what stands out the most is the retractable roof. It will be made of a durable translucent plastic. This gives a transparent appearance and allows a ring to light up in different colors.

There is no state-of-the-art retractable The Great Plan “Espai Barça” In 2021, the club members voted in favor of the new design of the stadium. Construction began the following year, building a huge official club store, an even larger museum, as well as the "Barça Campus" that. The "flexible structure" of the payment plan offers Barcelona a chance to revitalize itself after financial mismanagement. outstanding debt payments soared to nearly $1.5 billion and the loss of star players, most infamously, Lionel Messi.  The situation is so desperate that, as part of the stadium's renovation, the grass from the old field has been dug up, charred and transformed into synthetic diamonds for sale.

You can literally own a piece of the playing field, but it will cost you up to $16,000.  Every dollar counts as Barcelona has committed $1.6 billion to the 'Espai Barça' plan, in a bid to emerge from a financial crisis and return to the top of the football world.   More than $930 million of the budget will go to Camp Nou, more than three times the cost of the first design estimate given in 2007. Construction is expected to be completed in 2025, marking a new era for FC Barcelona. So how does the Camp Nou compare to the Bernabéu?  A brief conclusion In Barcelona, ​​​​an entire

camp

us is being built and the main part, the Camp Nou, is a huge improvement in terms of the fan experience.  In Madrid, the new Santiago Bernabéu represents a great step forward in stadium design.

With its elegant and futuristic exterior, it ensures that the royal legacy of Real Madrid is preserved. And with a fully retractable and stackable playing field, there is no doubt that Real Madrid is also leading the way in stadium construction. At least that's what we think, but what's your opinion? Which one do you like the most? Let us know in the comments below. If you liked this video, subscribe for more information. Thanks for watching and we'll see you again next time!