The new Verdiblanca House will have a capacity of 60,379 spectators after the demolition and complete construction of the Preference Stand.
Real Betis announced on Thursday, August 17, 2023 that the project presented by Rafael de la-Hoz and Gensler has been chosen as the winner of the international architectural competition organized by the Sevillian club to design the new Benito Villamarín stadium, one of the most relevant points of the Strategic Plan 2022-2026.
As announced by Betis, in the final vote, the Board of Directors chose the joint candidacy of the Cordovan architect and the American studio, which will be responsible for the design of this key project in the Club’s growth and which will house the béticos in ” one of the reference football venues on the national scene and a new icon of the city of Seville”.
Betis reported that the new facility will multiply the revenues of the entity with a new stadium concept, much more open, modern and will increase the club’s commercial activity throughout the year thanks to the multiple quality spaces. The design will enhance the entertainment and catering offer on match days, before, during and after, as well as days without sporting activities, turning it into a large leisure and events center, with a 450-seat auditorium. as a major point of tourist interest in the city.
According to Betus’ official statement, despite the change in the conceptual model, the stadium will “keep the essence and spirit of Real Betis and its fans and give its place to history with the expansion and improvement of the museum and the Tour and improving the atmosphere and fan experience with more comfort and services”.
Capacity of the new Benito Villamarín
According to the information provided by Betis on its official website, the new Benito Villamarín will have a capacity of 60,379 spectators after the demolition and complete construction of the Preference stand, which will have a capacity of 15,745 seats (11,533 in the regular stand). , 4,023 premium seats and 180 in the presidential box). The rest of the grandstands will not be demolished, but will undergo significant changes that will affect the comfort and experience of fans. The project envisages the installation of a roof over the four stands and a new facade that will completely change the current image with an architectural aesthetic that will envelop the Stadium in the thirteen bars of the shield.
The facility will have 4,436 premium tickets, 7.3% of total capacity, 30% will be VIP model (private hospitality) and 70% Club model (shared hospitality). In addition, the design has the necessary flexibility to increase these places in case of higher demand. These areas can be used on match days as well as for corporate events.
The gastronomic proposition will be one of the other main pillars on which this improvement of the fan experience is based, both on match days and non-match days, with a large display of food stalls throughout the hall and a 360º corridor in the first ring where different restaurant concepts concentrated, such as the gourmet market ‘Groene Markt’.
Among the experiences included in the design are the “rooftop” and the “sky lounge”, a spectacular space at the top of the Preference tier that will provide restaurant services with a spectacular view of the city, an unmistakable setting with the Heliópolis district and the V Centennial Bridge as a backdrop where you can see spectacular sunsets.
The new Benito Villamarín Stadium also contemplates three key points for the city: a donation of quality public spaces, with a central square with green and pedestrian areas, with leisure and promenade areas; the creation of services and facilities, such as new underground parking and commercial spaces that will increase activity in the area throughout the year; and above all, it will provide the city with a new iconic building that will have a positive impact of great value on the image of Seville.
In the same way, and according to the values promoted by Real Betis through its Forever Green sustainability platform, the new stadium will be one of the first in Europe to have an environmental certification with a design focused on energy optimization. The design also increases seating for people with reduced mobility (PRM), with more than 500 seats (including those for companions) and areas specially designed to make the most of the competitions.
The winning idea of the competition will be implemented in perfect coordination with the Seville City Council and the different municipal areas involved.
For the architect Rafael de la-Hoz, it is “a great opportunity” to connect “a mythical location” with the public space of a “legendary city”. “We have been waiting for the opportunity to work in an urban stadium for a while and we achieved it in the best possible scenarios, socially connecting a mythical sports venue like the Benito Villamarín with the public space of a legendary city like Seville “, he pointed out. “This is not only a stadium transformation project to turn it into a state-of-the-art infrastructure, but also an urban integration project in an environment such as Avenida de La Palmera and the Heliopolis neighborhood. All this makes it particularly interesting,” continued the architect.
Real Betis president Ángel Haro was pleased to announce the winner of a “historic” project that will mark the future of the institution and become a benchmark in national and even international football. In addition, he emphasized the “good harmony” with the Seville City Council in the development of “a new icon” for the city.
“This is a fundamental first step that will mark the future of the club and one of the great pillars of our strategic plan. Real Betis will have a quality stadium that will be the pride of all Beticos, with comfortable facilities that will provide better services.” .nuevo Villamarín is destined to become a national and even international reference, with an innovative and avant-garde business model that will give us a leap forward in obtaining new revenues, allowing us to continue to grow and of course add added value to the city of Seville. Both the city council and the club see the new stadium as a city project. We would also like to congratulate Rafael de la-Hoz and Gensler on their great project and the rest of the applications for the excellent quality of their work. The choice was very difficult because all the projects were exceptional,” he said.
Once the winning application has been selected, the Club will start working with Rafael de la-Hoz and Gensler on the basic project and later on the implementation project for the works tender, which is scheduled to start next summer.
Source: Goal