Agreement on the transformation of Espai Barça and work on new Camp Nou to begin in June

The mayor of Barcelona, ​​Ada Colau, and the president of FC Barcelona, ​​Joan Laporta, appeared this morning in the Pressroom at Barcelona City Hall immediately after the City Council’s Governing Commission had approved the award of a permit to restructure the Camp Nou. They were accompanied by Janet Sanz, Deputy Mayor for Ecology, Urban Planning, Infrastructure and Mobility, Jaume Collboni, Deputy Mayor for Economy, Labour, Competitiveness and Taxation, Elena Fort, Institutional Vice President of FC Barcelona, and Jordi Llauradó, manager of Espai Barça.

Renovation work on the Camp Nou, the epicentre of the Espai Barça project, will begin this June, as soon as the football season has ended, and in accordance with the building permit approved this morning.

The work will focus on the first and second tier, technological aspects, the environs of the stadium, and exterior urbanisation.

Actions inside the Camp Nou will include the demolition of the additional structure in the South Goal zone where the Medical Centre was located, restoration work, anti-carbonation and waterproofing of the stands, as well as structural finishes and the improvement and renovation of retransmission systems. 

In terms of technology, the plan is to install new telecommunications connections, to relocate the data processing centre, to create a technical room for monitoring internal telecommunications infrastructures and to install the new facilities for the TV Compound, for parking of mobile TV units. 

There will also be actions around the stadium, including work on the Lateral Zone car park, the construction of the new smart central storage area, an experiential space for informing members and marketing the project, and the transplantation and conditioning of the trees.

Finally, with regard to the work relating to the Modification of the General Metropolitan Plan that has already begun, urbanization, work is to be done in Carrer Menéndez i Pelayo procedures and the building owned by the club Travessera de les Cortes (the former Picadero) is to be demolished.

Third tier to be demolished in summer 2023

As President Joan Laporta said a few weeks ago, given the uncertainties generated by the war in Ukraine, especially with regard to the cost and availability of materials, a precautionary principle is to be observed in order to minimise risks and protect next season’s revenue, but with the least possible impact on the works schedule. The demolition of the third tier will therefore go ahead in the summer of 2023, which will win time given the current uncertainty of prices, and will ensure that the Camp Nou can operate at virtually full capacity next season. Demolition any earlier would have meant having to play the 2022/23 season with just 50% of capacity.

With this change in schedule, the demolition will coincide with the relocation of Camp Nou activity to the Lluís Companys Stadium in Montjuïc. FC Barcelona and the City Council are currently working on the conditions for this move, which will only mean an increase in the duration of the works by one or two quarters, which are estimated to be completed during the 2025/26 season.

So, the aforementioned works will be carried out during the 2022/23 season while members and other fans will be able to come to games as normal. In the 2023/24 season, most of the work would be continued all year round, so the team will play at Montjuïc. In the 2024/25 season, work will continue in the Camp Nou, but games can also be played there, albeit with the capacity reduced by approximately 50%. The work would be completed during the 2025/26 season.

The club also announced that the bidding process for works has been accelerated, with the tender opening in July and to be awarded no later than October.

A much more sustainable and technologically advanced stadium

The club has announced that in the coming weeks it will be presenting to the City Council the definitive modifications to the initial project, the outcome of the work done in recent months by municipal specialists and the Espai Barça team to boost the impact of these improvements in order to thereby modify the main building permit for the future Camp Nou, after which the club will be able to request the modification of this works permit, which will once again need to be approved by the City Council's Governing Commission.

The new Espai Barça project that was already discussed at an institutional meeting between President Laporta and Mayor Colau in May 2021 will incorporate new improvements in terms of sustainability, innovation, technology and accessibility, in addition to others that will maximise economic potential and, above all, minimise the effects on season ticket holders. 

Sustainability is part of the DNA of the new stadium, the aim being to make the future Camp Nou a benchmark in this field. The new plans involve a series of improvements that will have a direct positive impact on the environment and which should reduce the club's carbon footprint, boost the circular economy and enhance the biodiversity of the area. These improvements include the commitment to promote sustainable mobility, encouraging the use of public transport and promoting electric mobility, as up to 60% of parking spaces will be electrified, including spaces designated for bicycles and other Personal Mobility Vehicles (PMV). 

In the same vein, energy saving and efficiency will also be promoted with the installation of 18,000 m2 of photovoltaic panels on the new roof, to generate electricity equivalent to about 600 homes in the Eixample, and the use of green energy stored underground, to reduce heating and cooling consumption. In addition, a geothermal system and a District Heating & Cooling system will be installed, which will reduce the energy costs by 30%, and the rainwater collected from the roof will be reused to water all the plants in the future campus 10 times a year. In terms of biodiversity, the native fauna is currently protected and the woodland mass of the site is to be increased by 15%.

The future Camp Nou will incorporate state-of-the-art technologies, including a 360º screen inside the ‘bowl’ that will offer a new fan experience. The security and vehicle access control systems will also be improved and maximum use will be made of the possibilities offered by 5G connectivity. 

Funding in progress

The club has the funding to invest in this work and is continuing its efforts to ensure the best general financing operation for the Espai Barça project for an amount that will never be any more than 1.5 billion euros, as approved by a large majority at last December's referendum, and further ratified by the delegate members at the Assembly held on 17 and 23 October

.