International Architectural Tender - New Palau and New Camp Nou

International Architectural Tender - New Palau and New Camp Nou

The jury announced the winning bid for the New Palau Blaugrana on January 29 and the New Camp Nou was revealed on 8 March 2016

June 5 marked the beginning of the International Architectural Tender for the election of the projects to construct the New Camp Nou and the New Palau Blaugrana, and the publication of the regulations and selection criteria. The tender process involved two stages, and was supported by collaboration from Barcelona City Council and the Col·legi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya.

The jury was made up of five FC Barcelona members, namely four members of the Board of Directors and one architect, along with three representatives of the Col·legi d’Arquitectes and one of Barcelona City Council. FC Barcelona was represented by Josep Maria Bartomeu, Susana Monje, Jordi Moix, Emili Rousaud and the architect Juan Pablo Mitjans. The Col·legi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya (COAC) was represented by its dean Lluís Comeron, and the architect Arcadi Pla and Joan Forgas, while the Council representative was the assistant director for planning Aurora López.

The first stage of the bidding process involved the pre-qualification of the different teams. A total of 45 candidates presented projects, 26 for the New Camp Nou and 19 for the New Palau, who had to present their credentials and their experience of similar projects.

In September 2015, the Espai Barça jury and technical committee narrowed the 26 candidatures down to eight teams that would bid in the definitive tender. Each candidacy consisted of one international studio working with another local one, who had to put together their complete proposals in accordance with the regulations set by the tender technical committee formed by the Espai Barça team, led by the director of Patrimony, William T. Mannarelli, and two architects from the Col·legi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya (COAC).

NEW PALAU BLAUGRANA

FC Barcelona announced on 29 January 2016 that the Espai Barça jury had unanimously chosen the HOK + TAC Arquitectes team as the winner of the render for the New Palau Blaugrana.

The HOK + TAC Arquitectes bid was picked ahead of challenges from Pattern Architects + Massip-Bosch Arquitectes; GMP + GCA Arquitectes; HOK + TAC Arquitectes;  Francisco Mangado Arquitectos + Bach Arquitectes + R. Sanabria Arquitectes + I. Aparicio; Make + BCQ Arquitectes; Wilkinson Eyre Architects + Alonso Balaguer Riera Arquitectes.

The HOK + TAC Arquitectes proposal was admired for its innovative design of a multi-purpose Palau, as well as its permeability, flexibility and personality.

NEW CAMP NOU

FC Barcelona announced on 8 March 2016 that the Espai Barça had unanimously picked the proposal by the Nikken Sekkei + Pascual and Ausió Arquitectes team as the winning bid in the tender for the New Camp Nou.

The NIKKEN SEKKEI + Pascual and Ausió Arquitectes team was chosen ahead of challenges from AECOM + B720 Arquitectes, AFL + Mateo Arquitectura, Arup Sport + Taller d’Arquitectura Ricardo Bofill, BIG + IDOM + BAAS Arquitectes, GENSLER Sport + OAB, HKS + COX + Batlle i Roig Arquitectes, and POPULOUS + Mias Arquitectes + RCR Arquitectes.

The proposal from Nikken Sekkei + Pascual i Ausió Arquitectes was especially admired for being an open, elegant, serene, timeless, Mediterranean and democratic design. It is an ingenious reworking of the height and breadth of the structure to provide for the need to expand the venue.

It was also praised for the way it blends into its surroundings, creating a sense of depth, generating shadows and making the members themselves the protagonists of the façade and at all times making them active participants in their own leisure facility. The proposal includes a subtle and well-studied method for integrating into its environment, this making the circulation of people and traffic more fluid and achieving a diversity of urban uses on the Barça premises and guaranteeing a clear, safe construction process.

In short, this is solution is as unique as its genesis, with its characteristic vision of the terraces and its marquee-like roof, all of which combine in silent but powerful homage to the original design by Francesc Mitjans in 1957.

Força Barça
Força Barça

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