Featured image credit: Populous
Sports and entertainment venue design firm Populous has opened a new office in the Spanish capital, Madrid, with stadium development in the country set to intensify ahead of its co-hosting of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Populous’ arrival in Spain comes as it further grows and develops its international remit. Since it was founded in 1983 in Kansas City, Populous has developed to have a presence on four continents, with 26 offices and more than 1,000 employees globally.
In Europe, Populous has its regional EMEA HQ in London, and offices in Paris and Milan. Located in the financial centre of Madrid, the new Populous Espana office will offer all of the company’s services to the Spanish market, including architecture, masterplanning and landscaping, interior design, event planning, temporary infrastructure design, acoustic and audio visual, brand activation, and design-led business planning.
Declan Sharkey (pictured left), general manager of Populous Espana and Populous Italy, said: “The opening of a new Populous office in Madrid will enable us to serve clients in Spain and bring our global expertise to the development of stadiums and arenas in the country.”
Populous Espana will be managed by principal Jorge Betancor (pictured right). He added: “Our entry to the Spanish market comes at a very important time for sport in this country, thanks to the boost that World Cup 2030 will bring, both in terms of infrastructure and architecture.
“The tournament will position Spain as an even greater world destination for sports tourism. And while Spanish football is rightly considered among the most powerful in the world, Spain has some stadiums that need to modernise to cater for new experiences for fans and to develop new forms of income for the clubs.
“We want to combine our international experience with the specific needs and demands of Spanish football, sport in general and the entertainment world to help create a new era of fan experience.”
The 2030 World Cup will take place in six countries spanning three continents after FIFA confirmed in October that the bulk of games will be held in Morocco, Portugal and Spain, with Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to host “celebratory” matches during the tournament.
Spain last hosted the World Cup in 1982 and the country is currently a hotbed of stadium development activity with the tournament in mind. Multiple projects are in the works, in addition to the high-profile ventures already being undertaken by FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.
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