Main Spotify Camp Nou remodelling licence granted

The Barcelona City Council Government has granted the main licence for remodelling the Spotify Camp Nou. The centrepiece of Espai Barça, work on the Stadium began in June as soon as the season ended, and after making the most of the international break for the World Cup to start to demolish the third tier. Recent months have seen work focus on completing the demolition of the third tier, as the sporting activity moved to Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.

The main licence gives the go ahead to conduct work both above and below ground level. As such, during the 2023/24 season and with demolition work almost complete, the main phase of the work will get under way, starting with the foundations, and the building of the new third tier, including the hospitality section. Work around the Stadium is also planned, including an underground car park, the building of a new central smart warehouse and an exhibition area, the Barça Hospitality Showroom, to provide information for members and to market the project.

Lastly, when it comes to work involved with the ongoing Modification of the General Metropolitan Plan, the urban infrastructure work on Carrer Menéndez Pelayo is already complete and with similar work on Travessera de les Corts, the second phase of Avinguda de Joan XXIII and Carrer d'Elisabeth Eidenbenz (previously Carrer de la Maternitat) all planned to begin.

Improvements for a more sustainable and technologically cutting-edge stadium

The Club had submitted an updated version of the initial project to the City Council after joint collaboration between municipal technical experts and the Club's Espai Barça team to examine the effect of the changes in more detail. These modifications to the main licence for the work on the future Spotify Camp Nou have now been approved by the City Council's Government Commission.

Already outlined during an institutional meeting between the Club and Barcelona City Council in May 2021, a second meeting in April 2022, and now with the new City Council government team, the new Espai Barça project includes new improvements regarding sustainability, innovation, technology and accessibility,  plus other improvements to maximise the economic potential and above all, to minimise the effect on season ticket holder members. When it comes to work itself, the aim was to concentrate most of it within as short a timeframe as possible to also minimise the impact on the surrounding neighbourhood.

Sustainability is now part of the Stadium's DNA, with the aim of the future Spotify Camp Nou becoming a benchmark in this respect. The rethink to the approach applied with the newly approved licence has led to a series of improvements that will have a direct positive impact on the environment, with the aim of reducing the Club's carbon footprint, encouraging a circular economy, and boosting biodiversity in the area. These improvements include the commitment to sustainable mobility, like the Club has already put into place with the temporary move to Montjuïc, making it easier to reach the stadium using public transport and promoting electric mobility, including also designated spaces for bicycles.

Along the same lines, energy efficiency and saving is also a target, with the installation of 18,000 sqm. of photovoltaic panels on the new roof to generate the electricity needed to power the lights on matchday and up to the equivalent of 600 homes in the Eixample neighbourhood in Barcelona. Furthermore, making the most of undersoil storage of green energy to reduce heating and cooling costs is being investigated. The aim is to install a geothermal system and use district heating & cooling that will reduce energy consumption by 30%, and to reuse rainwater collected from the roof to water the future campus' green areas up to 10 times a year. When it comes to biodiversity, the native fauna is already protected and 15% more trees will be planted in the enclosure.

When it comes to technology, the future Spotify Camp Nou will include latest generation technological solutions. The security system and vehicle access control will also be improved, and the potential of 5G connectivity will be maximised.