CÉSAR AZCÁRATE: "THE ROOF OF THE NEW RAMÓN SÁNCHEZ-PIZJUÁN WILL BE THE MOST EFFICIENT"

Sevilla FC continue to work on the design of the new Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán. The company IDOM, with extensive experience, was chosen to draw up a preliminary project that was unveiled at the end of 2023 by César Azcárate. The Basque architect has experience in designing, among others, San Mamés, the Monumental, the Ciutat de Valencia and La Cerámica, the stadiums of Athletic Club, River Plate, Levante and Villarreal, respectively. In an interesting interview, Azcárate explains the unique features of what will be the new home of all Sevilla fans, scheduled for 2028.

"The first thing we did when we received the commission was to really get to know the idiosyncrasies of the club, their history, the city and especially the environment in which the stadium is located. To do this, we brought Sevilla supporters onto the team and established a continuous dialogue with the club itself", explained the Basque architect.

The aesthetic issues are the ones that have attracted the most attention from the fans, starting with the roof. Azcárate is aware that there is no accounting for taste. However, he explains that the choice is a technical one: "It is not usual, but it is the most efficient way to expand the shade to the area outside the stadium, to the south side, which will be a very important place, and to the curved areas of the stands. Shade is key in a place like Sevilla. It is original, unique and very interesting from an architectural point of view. I think that once it is finished, people will look at it with admiration".

The roof will be the key aspect in terms of spectator comfort, but what else will the fans find in the new stadium? "The main improvement for the fans is the comfort of modern stands designed to be more spacious, mobile and practical. There will be spaces in the upper tiers overlooking the city and boulevard areas in the lower tiers. The hospitality areas will be greatly increased in different formats, an important issue in terms of revenue generation", explains the architect, who knows that the most popular feature will be the new appearance of the North Stand. The most atmospheric area of the stadium will be enhanced as a one-tier stand "in the form of a wall that does not yet exist in Spain. It is a proposal that will make the Sánchez-Pizjuán even more of a cauldron than it is nowadays", according to Azcárate, who also spoke about the famous acoustics of our stadium: "We know that it has very good acoustics, but the acoustics at the new stadium will be much more imposing".

Our stadium has a legendary history and within its walls there are dozens of symbolic and emotional places: "We have immersed ourselves in the history of the Sánchez-Pizjuán to maintain its essence in the new one. We will keep the mosaic of the main façade in the same place but lowered towards the ground, as the stadium will be somewhat underground on the inside. The club made it clear to us that it had to be preserved and that is what we have done," says the architect, who points to the new outdoor plaza as another key point of the project: "The stadium will be more modern, comfortable, state-of-the-art and even more connected to the city, to its urban environment. The new Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán will be used every day, not every fortnight, activating the city itself, not just football fans. The new outdoor plaza on the south side of the stadium will enhance the urban area with leisure and cultural venues and bring it to life."