ULMA Construcción and the new San Mamés

The new San Mamés stadium, located next to the existing hundred-year-old ground, will host football matches for Athletic de Bilbao as well as European finals and international matches as it will meet UEFA’s maximum category 4 ranking.

With a budget of 215 million euros, it will cover 44,000 m2 and rise to 30 m in height. It will have a capacity of 53,000 structured in two amphitheatres surrounding the pitch, separated by a central ring for the royal box and 122 VIP suites. It will also incorporate ancillary services such as an innovation centre and sports medicine centre, a municipal sports complex and an underground running track.

In the first phase, which has already been inaugurated, the stadium’s two large sides sections and its foundations were built. In the second phase, once the old stadium has been demolished, the stands will be built. The project is due for completion in 2014-2015.

The 28 m high vaults that arch over the stadium have been formed projecting in BRIO scaffolding with their weight not being supported by the ground so as not to interfere with other constructions works and thus to increase productivity.   Built as platforms, they have facilitated the structural assembly and joining work for the cover. The execution schedule has been fundamental to the project.