'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Barcelona has revealed plans for a magnificent modern stadium to improve their current Camp Nou home and increase capacity to over 100000 fans. The project is called The Espai Barça (in Spanish Space Barça ).
The ambitious ‘Espai Barca’ involves club’s plans to revamp and expand their Camp Nou stadium and renovate its other installations. The current seating capacity of Camp Nou is 99,000.
Espai Barca Project will see the capacity of Camp Nou raised from 99,000 to 105,000.
When will the building work take place?
Barca plays their home games in Camp Nou, so it is not possible to vacate the stadium for the construction work. Therefore building work on the stadium will take place over the post-season(roughly during June and July) over three years, beginning from 2019. It will allow the team to continue playing in the Camp Nou without any disruption.
When the season is over, we will work inside out. During the season we will work inside in- Espai Barça Project Director William T. Mannarelli
Financing and Cost of Project
The Espai Barça will have a total cost of 360 million euros, which includes all the aspects that will be created and improved, due to this one of the main objectives of the Barça directive is that it does not affect either the members or the sports level.
History of the Espai Barca Project
The project was envisioned way back in 2007 when Joan Laporta was the president of FC Barcelona. The project laid the foundation for the candidacy of Sandro Rosell as the president of the club.
It positively helped him, as with a percentage of 61.5% of the votes, he won the election as the most voted president in the history of the club.
After 18 months of work by the board of directors, on January 20, 2014, the project preparation was finalized, which was analyzed according to the viewpoints of the club, the requirements of the members and, at the same time, the knowledge of other new amenities that have already been established.
The whole process involved an investment of around one million euros. Big and reputed companies like ISG (income streams and improve the experiences of the spectators), AEG (sports and entertainment activities), ICON Venue Group (project management, development of stadiums and pavilions) and Ryder Levett Bucknall (control and economic management of projects) hugely participated in the project.
On April 5, 2014, in the esplanade of the Camp Nou, a referendum took place with over 70 percent of people in favour of the project.
After a lot of planning and assessing the financial situation, the club officially announced the project on 20th October 2018.
Key Features of the project:
The club has already begun work on a new stadium for its youth and reserve teams, which is to be named after Dutch great Johan Cruyff and will be at the site of its training ground.
‘Espai Barca’ will also see the construction of a new arena for the club’s basketball team and green spaces around the Nou Camp. The remodelling of the stadium is the most important point in the project. In addition, the old building of La Masía will become the club's institutional headquarters.
Barcelona is one of the most iconic clubs in the world, and this remodelling project will help in reaching out to more people and build a bigger brand.
