Transforming Madrid’s iconic football venue: Santiago Bernabéu Stadium

The Santiago Bernabéu stadium, home to the world-renowned Real Madrid football club, has a rich history of on-field success. However, despite this pedigree, the stadium was in need of a major upgrade. Real Madrid sought a solution that would provide cutting-edge amenities and enable year-round events, all while allowing existing sports fixtures to continue as scheduled. This is where the Santiago Bernabéu redevelopment project comes in.

To convert the old 1947 infrastructure into a modern digital stadium, the club proposed a complete renovation including the development of the latest sports and audiovisual technologies, The new stadium includes a retractable roof, a 360-degree video scoreboard, and a surround ‘skin’ of steel bands to allow images to be projected onto the stadium’s surface. The transformation of the stadium into a true icon of the Spanish capital had a final budget of around 900 million euros. The complex, scheduled for completion by 2023, will extend over 66,000 square metres and feature leisure and entertainment facilities.

In addition to the technological advancements, the project would add 150,000 square meters of commercial space in the heart of the capital’s financial centre. The materials in the new roof and facades are composed of an environmentally sustainable stainless steel material, an example of a circular economy design that is one hundred per-cent recyclable and serves several functions – including reducing noise and light pollution. It also includes a new skywalk with stunning 360 degree views. This “skin” on the retractable roof will also act as an insulator and temperature regulator, reducing reliance on 1,300 heaters in Winter, which will be replaced by electric solar powered models.

The most impressive feat of the Santiago Bernabéu redevelopment project was the successful implementation of a retractable pitch system, which had never been used in a football stadium before. The system consists of rectangular turf divided into trays that can be stored in a hypogeum located underneath the stadium. This innovative solution allows for the freeing up of the field’s surface, providing 10,000 square meters of space for Real Madrid’s business area to host events and concerts while also protecting the sacred soccer pitch.

Once completed, the new Santiago Bernabéu Real Madrid Football Club and stadium will be a game-changer, setting the standard for modern football stadiums worldwide. It will be a testament to Real Madrid’s commitment to excellence on and off the field and will solidify its position as one of the most innovative football clubs and conference and event facility in the world.

Ayesa is responsible for overseeing the design, project management, construction, and execution of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium remodeling project. To ensure the project’s success, a team of over 20 technicians with diverse specialties is working on-site.

As the project manager and integrator, Ayesa has ensured that the stadium’s various activities, including matches, museum exhibits, restaurants, and events are not affected by the construction project, which has formed the main challenge during the 4-year project timeline. The project site’s location on Paseo de la Castellana has presented additional complexities, with a railway tunnel connecting Atocha and Chamartín stations passing below, a subway parking lot bordering the site, and multiple high voltages, gas, sewage, and telecommunications lines running nearby.

Multidisciplinary expertise: Ayesa offers consulting, verification, and supervision services in a range of areas, including engineering, architecture, urban planning, MEP installations, as well as audiovisual and telecommunications. This allows for a holistic approach to the project and ensures that all aspects of the work are coordinated efficiently.

Integration of planned and new elements: Ayesa has helped to integrate the interventions and elements added to the original project, both from the technical and planning point of view. This ensures that the work is cohesive and that all elements are seamlessly integrated.

Efficient implementation: Ayesa has been instrumental in the efficient selection of systems and installations, as well as the smooth implementation of different commercial operators. This ensures that the project is completed in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Control and security: Ayesa has provided technical and planning expertise to ensure that Real Madrid Football Club maintains control of the project and that structural solutions are secure. This helps to mitigate risks and ensure that the project is completed successfully.

Working with Ayesa guarantees that the redevelopment of the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium into a “digital stadium of the future” is completed to world-class standards using sustainable materials and approaches in a cost-effective and efficient manner.