The Spotify Camp Nou site pictured on April 14
Featured image credit: FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona has reportedly set December 15 as the date for its return to Spotify Camp Nou, while the club has detailed plans to develop a new ice sports facility.
Work officially started in earnest on the transformation of Camp Nou in May last year, with Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, stating that the new-look stadium will be “a collective dream for all Barça fans”.
The LaLiga football club is currently competing at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys whilst the most significant renovation work at the Camp Nou is completed, and with Laporta having stated that good progress is being made, a move in date had been targeted for the end of this year.
Mundo Deportivo has now reported that Barcelona plans to ask LaLiga that its first league match back at the Camp Nou be played on December 15. November 29, the date of the club’s 125th anniversary, was originally targeted.
It is projected that 60% of the Camp Nou’s new capacity of 105,000, or around 63,000 seats, will be available for the first phase of the stadium’s reopening. The club has obtained permission from Barcelona City Council to extend the work schedule at Camp Nou.
From April 6, work on the stadium is said to have continued Monday to Friday from 8am to midnight, while on Saturdays the hours have been from 10am to midday.
Barcelona on Sunday reported that work on the future stadium remains on schedule, with the slabs at ground level for members and fans to walk into the facility soon set to be put into place. At the same time, Barcelona said renovations to the first and second tiers are progressing at a good pace, with over 70% of repairs on the current structure completed, and the inner partition walls already starting to be built.
In November, it was reported that Turkish company Limak Construction was set to receive a €1m (£856,000/$1.07m) bonus after completing the first phase of the revamp project ahead of schedule. Limak landed the contract to carry out the redevelopment of the Camp Nou back in January 2023, with initial site work starting in March.
As a focal point of the wider Espai Barça infrastructure venture, the Camp Nou project will centre on an expansion of the stadium’s capacity from 98,000 to 105,000. The stadium will also be fully covered by a roof, while improvements to maximise its economic potential will be carried out, along with bringing the venue up to date in terms of innovation, technology, sustainability and accessibility.
New home for ice hockey, figure skating teams
In other news, Barcelona said it has agreed terms on a site at which it will develop a new facility for its ice hockey and figure skating operations.
The club’s teams that compete in these sports have been forced to use facilities outside of the FC Barcelona footprint due to the work that has taken place as part of Espai Barça. However, the club has now said it has participated in a public tender for the general concession of land at the University of Barcelona.
This is set to lead to the land transferring hands for four years, extendable for another two, for the development of a new ice rink. The facility will have a capacity for 400 people on the track and 350 spectators, and will be designed for both sporting and commercial usage.
Reinforcing the club’s commitment to sustainability, Barcelona said a series of active systems will also be installed to improve energy efficiency, such as photovoltaic panels. The new facility is hoped to be ready for use by the third quarter of 2025.
The club renovated the existing Palau de Gel building, located next to the Palau Blaugrana arena, to house the Barça Immersive Tour, a temporary space that will be in use until the Camp Nou’s new museum is inaugurated.
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