Zaragoza new home bare-bones design presented

Image: Zaragoza City Council

The LaLiga 2 team Real Zaragoza new home ground – the San José Stadium in Zaragoza, Spain – will boast 43,184 seats as per the preliminary design unveiled.

‘zaragoza.es’ stated that the partners of the commercial company in charge of building and managing the future stadium – La Nueva Romareda – have presented the basic design of the stadium and the design essence has been given shape by a team from the architecture firm IDOM led by Architect César Azcárate.

The redevelopment work will spread out over five phases which will start in July this year and the last phase is expected to be completed by the year 2028. It will be ensured that during the construction phase the stadium can hold a minimum of 20,000 fans.

The Real Zaragoza, commonly referred to as Zaragoza, is a football club based in Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, that currently competes in the LaLiga 2, the second tier of the Spanish league system. Zaragoza holds its home games at the La Romareda Stadium.

The La Romareda Stadium is the home stadium of Real Zaragoza in Zaragoza, Spain. It was inaugurated on September 8^th, 1957. The official capacity of the facility is 33,608, with an average attendance of around 20,000 for the Real Zaragoza matches.

The new stadium for Real Zaragoza in Zaragoza, Spain, is called the San José Stadium, which will replace the La Romareda Stadium. The stadium will have a capacity of 43,184. In fact, it is a 360 degree redevelopment of the La Romareda Stadium and will unfold in five phases with the first phase to begin on July 8^th, 2024. The total cost of the project is €140 million (£121.8 million/$152.5 million).

Bilbao (Spain)-based IDOM is a multinational corporation which provides consulting, engineering and architecture services in Spain and internationally.

Javier Dávila de Eusebio, Sports Architecture BDM, IDOM, Spain, is a Member of Coliseum Global Sports Venue Alliance.

The new home of Real Zaragoza will be the crowning glory for the City of Zaragoza and will also represent the community on which it will sit. The basic design was presented by a team of the commercial company La Nueva Romareda in the presence of the members of the Zaragoza City Council, the Government of Aragon and Real Zaragoza. The venue will try to create the best soccer atmosphere for a complete spectator experience and will become a benchmark in sustainability.

‘zaragoza.es’ further stated that the details of the future stadium design were explained by the main architect of the project, César Azcárate, leading a team from the consulting firm IDOM. In total, there will be a constructed area of 76,653 m², of which 52,090 will be for the stadium itself, 5,042 for adjuvant uses and 19,521 for tertiary uses. A state-of-the-art field that will be built in five different phases, over 54 months and with a budget valued at 148,562,000 euros (value-added tax [VAT] not included).
 

Cierzo Concept

The project designers have proposed the Cierzo concept as a modeling element of the building’s volume. The clear predominant direction of the wind in Zaragoza has been taken as a reference for the layout of the San José Stadium, protected from the wind and open to sweeping views, while expressing movement and lightness. The Cierzo will be a fundamental element in the design.

The Cierzo is a strong wind that blows through the Ebro River Valley in Spain during Autumn and Winter. It’s created by the difference in temperature between the two local air masses, warm and cold. The architects have incorporated the Cierzo wind into the design of some buildings, such as the reconfigured La Romareda Stadium.

The exterior figure will be eroded, drawing concave and convex shapes, and providing the volume with diverse visuals and perspectives. Special attention is being paid to the corners, treating them as unique elements. The cantilevers that mark the transitions between each level follow the dynamics of the design with a convex contour on the façades of the side stands and a concave contour on the façades of the goals/ends.

The roof will be a light element that expresses movement and will symbolize everything that is Zaragoza. In addition, it will cover the entire stands and will extend outwards and will provide splendid views of both the City and the inside of the arena.

As César Azcárate detailed during his presentation, the new La Romareda Stadium build is being planned in such a manner so that it can be one of the venues for the 2030 World Cup. The benchmarks set by FIFA, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), and the LaLiga (the top men’s professional football division of the Spanish football league system) have been taken into account while designing the venue. The sustainability factors have been accorded topmost priority along with the safety aspect of the spectators.

The 2030 FIFA World Cup™ will be the 24^th FIFA World Cup™, a quadrennial international football tournament contested by the men’s national teams of the member-associations of FIFA. The 2030 World Cup will mark the centennial World Cup competition. For the first time, three countries from two continents will host the competition, with Spain, Portugal and Morocco as the host nations. Additionally, Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the FIFA World Cup™, in particular the first World Cup in Uruguay. The first game, alongside a special centenary celebration, will be held in the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, Uruguay. The second and third games will be held in Argentina and Paraguay, respectively. The rest of the games and the opening ceremony will be held in Morocco, Portugal and Spain. This will be the first World Cup held in Africa since 2010, in South America since 2014, as well as in Europe since 2018.

Nyon (Switzerland)-based the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs football, futsal and beach football in Europe and the transcontinental countries of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan, as well as the West Asian countries of Cyprus, Armenia and Israel. The UEFA consists of 55 national association members. Since 2022, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the FIFA and UEFA suspended all Russian national teams and clubs from any FIFA and UEFA competitions.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) is the governing body of football in Spain. Founded on September 29^th, 1913, it is based in La Ciudad del Fútbol of Las Rozas, a municipality near Madrid.
 

Bowl Specifics

The new home venue of Zaragoza will be able to accommodate 43,184 spectators, of which 40,769 seats will be for general admission, 2,295 for the VIP guests (with flexibility to be reduced or increased, depending on the event) and 120 for the media personnel.

The bowl will be divided into two main stands. On the one hand, there will be Graderío (Bleachers) 1, the area closest to the pitch, with 18,333 general seats, of which 600 will be installed in the Pitch Club (premium area next to the field) and another 572 will be seats reserved for people with reduced mobility and their attendants. Graderío 2 will be located at the top, with another 21,715 general tickets, of which 120 will be reserved for the Press people.

In the West or Preferential Zone (Plaza Eduardo Ibarra) and in the East Zone (Paseo Isabel La Católica) there will be a divider between the two stands with separate hospitality trays with a total capacity for 2,588 fans. On the East side there will be 1,441 general admission seats, but will allow flexibility to incorporate them as premium seats. While on the West side there will be 1,538 hospitality seats for the honor box (205), the seat lodges (186) and the premium gold seats (756). In addition, at the Plaza Eduardo Ibarra there will be a second hospitality tray and it will lodge the VIP area with cabins and premium seats with a total capacity for 548 guests.

However, the structure from within will rise five floors above the ground with an overall height of more than 31 meters and will enjoy two underground basements as well as the roof that will protect all the stands. A total of 19,521 m2 of tertiary uses will be located along the Preference/West and East Stands.
 

Floor Specifics

On the Ground Floor or at the street level there will be the ingress and egress points to the stadium, restrooms and catering services for the lower stands, access to the hospitality areas, ticket offices, the club’s official store, the museum, and other services.

On the First Floor will sit the hospitality area, bars and catering services. The Second Floor will house the Presidential Box and the VIP area as well as the eateries. The Third Floor will provide access to the upper tier of the Preference Grandstand and services for the general public. The offices of Real Zaragoza will be lodged in the Fourth Floor.

The Fifth Floor will boast a 360-degree terrace with access to the technical areas and will also house the media and broadcast zones as well as the stadium security staff rooms.

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