Spanish LaLiga football club Real Madrid has released a drone video showcasing the extensive redevelopment work at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, with the wide-ranging project scheduled to be completed next year.
The video intersperses real-time footage of the ongoing construction work with rendering imagery of what the stadium will look like when completed. One of the main elements of the project is the installation of a retractable pitch system to ensure the stadium can fulfil more of a multi-purpose remit.
Real has confirmed that the six huge trays on which the playing surface will be split into are now in place. The trays, which each weigh 1,500 tonnes, will be stored in a huge underground greenhouse more than 25 metres deep.
Real will play its first home match of the season on Saturday against Real Betis, with the club having requested to play the first three games of the season away from home to allow more work to be carried out at the Bernabéu.
A new pitch has been fitted at the stadium for this season. Some 416 reels were transferred to the Bernabéu, with 7,480 square metres of pitch having been laid in 44 hours.
Museum beams weighing 530 tonnes and measuring 106 metres long have also been put in place, enabling the stadium’s virtual museum to be extended. Stainless steel sheets have been fitted on the roof, while 200 panels of the outer stadium shell have been installed and covered with sheets for their conservation.
In December, Real confirmed a second phase of financing for the Bernabéu project, stating the conditions it secured represented the “best ever obtained” for a long-term arrangement in the sports industry.
The announcement confirmed earlier reports that Real had agreed a deal to raise the necessary funds to complete the redevelopment of the Bernabéu, and at a lower cost than the previous financing package it took out.
The project is expected to be completed at the beginning of 2023, with the costs having increased beyond the originally intended budget to between €800m (£684m/$802m) and €900m.
In May, Real sealed a €360m deal with global investment firm Sixth Street and premium experiences company Legends to form a new entity aimed at enhancing the non-football activities at the revamped Bernabéu.
The objective of the deal is to elevate the Bernabéu as a “unique venue and a worldwide benchmark” for leisure and entertainment. Real said the funds it receives can be invested across any of its activities, with Sixth Street acquiring the right to participate in the operation of certain new businesses of the Bernabéu for a 20-year period.
Image: Real Madrid
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