Features

Populous to deliver ‘new sporting landmark’ for Mexico

Architecture firm Populous has said it will deliver a stadium that will “hold a special place in the hearts of the fans” after officially announcing its involvement in the project to develop a new home for Liga MX football club Tigres UANL.

Plans for the 65,000-seat stadium, which is due to be delivered in 2025, were first unveiled at a press conference last week, with the Governor of Nuevo León, Samuel García, in attendance alongside representatives of the club, Populous, Cemex, UANL, Sinergia Deportiva and Juego de Pelota.

Populous’ multi-use design features separate changing rooms for Tigres’ men’s and women’s teams and a retractable pitch that will allow a range of events to be hosted, from football and athletics to concerts and American football.

The scheme also incorporates retail, hospitality, hotel rooms, offices, and classrooms for the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL) in an effort to facilitate year-round usage and create a socially responsible and financially sustainable venue.

The new stadium will be located on a site close to Tigres’ current home, Estadio Universitario, meaning the club will not need to relocate during construction and will retain its position at the university with direct transport links to the downtown area. The project is expected to employ 60,000 people directly and indirectly and will be privately funded at a cost of $320m (£233.1m/€279.3m).

Christopher Lee, managing director – EMEA at Populous, said: “We are proud to be part of this exciting project to create a new home for Tigres UANL that will allow them to continue to flourish at the very highest level.

“Our design builds on the club’s rich history at Estadio Universitario to deliver a stadium that will come to hold a special place in the hearts of the fans and indeed the wider community. We look forward to continuing to work closely with UANL, Tigres UANL, Cemex and Juego de Pelota Inc. to deliver a new sporting landmark for Nuevo León and Mexico.”

Tigres, which is based in the city of San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León, had long been seeking a deal to build a new stadium that could replace the 42,000-seat Estadio Universitario, its home since 1967.

Images: Populous