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Barcelona FC target global dominance with €600m Espai Barça sports district
POSTED 02 Mar 2016 . BY Kim Megson
The New Palau Blaugrana will have a 10,000-seat arena, an auxiliary court for 2,000 spectators, an ice rink and a football academy Credit: FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona has unveiled new information about its ambitious plans to create “the most important sports project in Europe and the world.”
The club has revealed details of the financing, design and long-term vision for its €600m (US$651.9m, £467.4m) Espai Barça sports district ahead of a major announcement, expected this month, on the architecture team who will redevelop the Nou Camp into a “state-of-the-art, 105,000-capacity stadium that will be one of the very best in the world.”
The Espai Barça district will include the new-look Nou Camp alongside a 6,000-capacity UEFA category III Miniestadi for its youth teams – designed by Batlle i Roig Arquitectes. There will also be the New Palau Blaugrana – a multi-sports and concert arena created by US sports architects HOK and Spanish practice TAC Arquitectes.
In addition, new administrative buildings will be constructed, existing facilities will be reorganised and the club’s museum and shop will be expanded.
“The project will generate new opportunities for the our social and economic development, increase revenue and the value of the club’s assets, boost sponsorship, improve conditions for our athletes, recover architectural excellence, achieve environmental sustainability and create venues for a 21st century Barça,” said the club. “It reflects a trend shaping sports districts across the globe as they aim to generate activity 365 days a year.
“This is every Barça fan’s dream, one that will become a reality and a legacy to be enjoyed by future generations.”
The club added that funding will be generated for these projects “without affecting the club’s sports or its members.” It said that €200m (US$217.3m, £155.8m) will be raised in exchange for adding a name to the stadium and it will also receive a syndicated loan.
The highly flexible complex will comprise three areas that can operate independently: a 10,000-seat arena, an auxiliary court for 2,000 spectators, an ice rink with room for 800 spectators and a campus for the club’s football academy, FCB Escola.
The main sports hall, sat within a large bowl, will meet the requirements of basketball's Euroleague and will host matches for Barcelona FC’s basketball offshoot, FC Barcelona Lassa, from the 2019-2020 basketball season. A large LED screen on the lower portion of the stadium's rooftop will screen footage from games.
The court will feature 18 VIP boxes, two ‘skybars’ and configurable seating – all of which will allow the venue to host cultural events such as concerts.
“This site has tremendous potential,” added Daniel Hajjar, managing principal for HOK’s London office. “We look forward to working with the Barcelona City Council, the Barça technical teams, the residents of Barcelona and TAC Arquitectes to further develop and integrate our concept with the rest of the Espai Barça project and the city centre.”
Top 20 richest clubs in Europe worth £5bn+, says Deloitte POSTED 21 Jan 2016. BY Matthew Campelli The top 20 richest clubs in Europe broke the £5bn (€6.5bn) mark for the first time for
their combined revenues, with English Premier League teams accounting for almost half
the list.
Sachin Tendulkar and Cristiano Ronaldo team up for football entertainment centres POSTED 05 Jan 2016. BY Tom Walker Smaaash Entertainment, an Indian visitor attractions and sports company part-owned by cricket
legend Sachin Tendulkar, has recruited Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo to help establish football-
themed entertainment centres across the Middle East.
The Standards Authority for Touch in Cancer Care (SATCC) charity has announced its first five-
day Living with Cancer and Beyond retreat, which will be held at Carden Park Hotel and Spa in
Cheshire, UK, between 1 and 5 September.
Patmos Aktis, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa, has opened in Greece, with a renovated and
rebranded wellness offering called Ansana Wellness and Spa.
The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, an Autograph Collection property in Hawaii, US, has opened its
22,000 sq ft indoor-outdoor Spa at Mauna Kea as the final step in the property’s overall
renovation, which has cost more than US$180 million (€166 million, £140 mill
Barcelona FC target global dominance with €600m Espai Barça sports district
POSTED 02 Mar 2016 . BY Kim Megson
The New Palau Blaugrana will have a 10,000-seat arena, an auxiliary court for 2,000 spectators, an ice rink and a football academy Credit: FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona has unveiled new information about its ambitious plans to create “the most important sports project in Europe and the world.”
The club has revealed details of the financing, design and long-term vision for its €600m (US$651.9m, £467.4m) Espai Barça sports district ahead of a major announcement, expected this month, on the architecture team who will redevelop the Nou Camp into a “state-of-the-art, 105,000-capacity stadium that will be one of the very best in the world.”
The Espai Barça district will include the new-look Nou Camp alongside a 6,000-capacity UEFA category III Miniestadi for its youth teams – designed by Batlle i Roig Arquitectes. There will also be the New Palau Blaugrana – a multi-sports and concert arena created by US sports architects HOK and Spanish practice TAC Arquitectes.
In addition, new administrative buildings will be constructed, existing facilities will be reorganised and the club’s museum and shop will be expanded.
“The project will generate new opportunities for the our social and economic development, increase revenue and the value of the club’s assets, boost sponsorship, improve conditions for our athletes, recover architectural excellence, achieve environmental sustainability and create venues for a 21st century Barça,” said the club. “It reflects a trend shaping sports districts across the globe as they aim to generate activity 365 days a year.
“This is every Barça fan’s dream, one that will become a reality and a legacy to be enjoyed by future generations.”
The club added that funding will be generated for these projects “without affecting the club’s sports or its members.” It said that €200m (US$217.3m, £155.8m) will be raised in exchange for adding a name to the stadium and it will also receive a syndicated loan.
The highly flexible complex will comprise three areas that can operate independently: a 10,000-seat arena, an auxiliary court for 2,000 spectators, an ice rink with room for 800 spectators and a campus for the club’s football academy, FCB Escola.
The main sports hall, sat within a large bowl, will meet the requirements of basketball's Euroleague and will host matches for Barcelona FC’s basketball offshoot, FC Barcelona Lassa, from the 2019-2020 basketball season. A large LED screen on the lower portion of the stadium's rooftop will screen footage from games.
The court will feature 18 VIP boxes, two ‘skybars’ and configurable seating – all of which will allow the venue to host cultural events such as concerts.
“This site has tremendous potential,” added Daniel Hajjar, managing principal for HOK’s London office. “We look forward to working with the Barcelona City Council, the Barça technical teams, the residents of Barcelona and TAC Arquitectes to further develop and integrate our concept with the rest of the Espai Barça project and the city centre.”
Top 20 richest clubs in Europe worth £5bn+, says Deloitte POSTED 21 Jan 2016. BY Matthew Campelli The top 20 richest clubs in Europe broke the £5bn (€6.5bn) mark for the first time for
their combined revenues, with English Premier League teams accounting for almost half
the list.
Sachin Tendulkar and Cristiano Ronaldo team up for football entertainment centres POSTED 05 Jan 2016. BY Tom Walker Smaaash Entertainment, an Indian visitor attractions and sports company part-owned by cricket
legend Sachin Tendulkar, has recruited Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo to help establish football-
themed entertainment centres across the Middle East.
The Standards Authority for Touch in Cancer Care (SATCC) charity has announced its first five-
day Living with Cancer and Beyond retreat, which will be held at Carden Park Hotel and Spa in
Cheshire, UK, between 1 and 5 September.
Patmos Aktis, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa, has opened in Greece, with a renovated and
rebranded wellness offering called Ansana Wellness and Spa.
The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, an Autograph Collection property in Hawaii, US, has opened its
22,000 sq ft indoor-outdoor Spa at Mauna Kea as the final step in the property’s overall
renovation, which has cost more than US$180 million (€166 million, £140 mill
The UK spa review and discovery platform for consumers, the Good Spa Guide, has announced
it will host the Good Spa Guide Awards 2026 during an event on 16 November at Sopwell House
Hotel in St Albans, UK.
Eighty-four per cent of consumers now say wellness is a top priority in their lives, with this
percentage increasing year on year, according to a preview presentation of McKinsey’s Future of
Wellness 2026 research report.
