A major renovation at the Santiago Bernabéu will begin now and will be 12 meters larger than the current stadium. Enlarging the size will be a necessity in order to install the retractable roof that will cover the new stadium; also new commercial areas and a new walkway will be added.
Projected cost is around 400m euro, the target date for completion is 2020.
The venue originally inaugurated in 1947 will maintain its capacity of more than 80,000, although the seating sections may be redesigned. One of the stadium’s most notable features, the four corner access towers, will be covered by the new facade.
The Bernabéu will maintain its name, but it may gain a “surname” from a sponsor; Abu Dhabi investment fund International Petroleum Investment Company is helping finance the renovation. Because of the agreement with the city, Madrid won’t be allowed to increase the total size of the structures already in place, so it will have to rearrange the current constructions to be able to remodel the stadium. Some office spaces will be transferred to the team’s base in Ciudad Real Madrid, in the city’s outskirts.
Officials praised the fact that one of the stadium’s car parks will be transformed into a large public area, and that the new roof will help reduce noise in the neighbourhood.
La Liga rivals Barcelona announced their own remodelling project for the Camp Nou, increasing capacity from 99,354 to 105,000 after construction is fully finished in about five years. The stadium will also have a new roof covering all seating sections.
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