A stadium for the future

On Saturday September 22 the scale model of what will be the future Camp Nou was unveiled, designed by the Norman Foster architecture studio.

The restructuring project promoted by the club was decided through an open and transparent tender. In the first phase, some eighty architects and architectural studios sent their CVs to apply to become one of the ten finalists, who had to come up with an idea for the remodelling of the Camp Nou. The selection was not made exclusively by FC Barcelona, but was made by a jury that included representatives of the club, members of the Colegio de Arquitectos de Catalunya and the Barcelona City Council. Both the fact that it was a transparent process and that other groups other than the promoters were included in the selection set a never before seen precedent that should set an example for other organisations to follow when arranging for similar projects to be undertaken.

The decision regarding the winning project, taken from the two projects chosen by the jury, was made by the FC Barcelona board of directors, the elected project eventually being that of Norman Foster. In analysing the ten projects presented, a Technical Commission and a Civil Commission, made up of engineers, specialists and people representing the Catalan general public and residents of Les Corts district oversaw the projects and made corresponding reports. The whole process was therefore open and transparent.

But there was another underlying intention. The project had to be the city’s project, and the country’s, and not just FC Barcelona’s. That Foster’s design for the Camp Nou was debated and compared with its opponents was the first step in ensuring that Barcelonans and Catalans can feel that this stadium is their own stadium.

Until now, several decisive steps have been taken to ensure that this project becomes a reality in 5 or 6 years time. The sooner the better, of course. However, there is still one important stage to go. The new Camp Nou is not a stand-alone project, but forms part of a bigger picture that moves beyond the bounds of FC Barcelona. The remodelling of the Camp Nou will affect other institutions, such as the Universidad de Barcelona, and comes under the responsibility of the Barcelona City Council. The process has been approached in a transparent and open fashion, and everything has been made public, including dialogue, and the aim is for the whole district, the whole city and the whole country to feel that this is their very own project.