Nikken to showcase New Camp Nou design at Cityscape

Monday 29 August 2016

Dubai - MENA Herald: Japanese architectural firm Nikken Sekkei, will be showcasing the design for the New Camp Nou, FC Barcelona’s iconic football stadium, which will be expanded and renovated at a cost of Euros 380 million, at this year’s Cityscape Global in Dubai.
The existing Camp Nou, is one of the largest stadiums in Europe. The proposal requirements include plans for complete refurbishment, a roof installation, and a capacity increase from 99,000 to 105,000 spectators. Construction work is due to start in 2017 and will be complete by 2021, during which time the stadium will remain operational.
“It is a great honor to have been trusted with the opportunity to participate in the design of the New Camp Nou stadium, building on the legacy of the existing one. I hope fans and real estate professionals alike visiting Cityscape will want to come to our stand and take a look at a football stadium that is not only aesthetic in design, but functional, smart and sustainable,” said Tadao Kamei, President & CEO, Nikken Sekkei.
This is the first time that renderings and 500/1 physical model will be on show in the Middle East and visitors will have the chance to speak to members of Nikken Sekkei’s Dubai-based design team, who played a supporting role in the bid, as well as members of the central bid team.
The bidding process began in June 2015, with a total of 26 teams initially presenting bids, and in September 2015, the Espai Barça jury and technical committee shortlisted eight teams for the definitive tender for the New Camp Nou.
Earlier this year, FC Barcelona announced that the Espai Barça jury had unanimously selected the design bid tendered by Nikken Sekkei + Pascual i Ausió Arquitectes, for the New Camp Nou. According to officials of the jury, the design stood out for being open, elegant, serene, timeless Mediterranean and democratic.
“We were told that our design was also noted for its relationship with the environment, providing depth, creating shadows and presenting a very subtle attempt to intervene in the environment to facilitate circulation and achieve diverse urban usage,” said Dr. Fadi Jabri, Regional Director & Executive Officer, Nikken Sekkei.
In short, the jury claimed that it was a unique solution, reproducing the characteristic vision of the grandstand and canopy, from the inside out, a silent and powerful tribute to the stadium designed by Francesc Mitjans, Josep Soteras and Lorenzo García Barbón in 1957.
In addition to the New Camp Nou showcase, Nikken Sekkei will also be presenting a number of diverse projects from Moscow to Mumbai.
Projects of note include:
The Botanicheski Sad project - meaning Botanic Garden situated in Moscow is located 10km from the Kremlin and is the first real residential Transit Orientated Development (TOD) as the Moscow City Government has stated planning and constructing transit hubs around railway stations and metro lines to encourage residents to use public transport.
Another TOD project, which aims to redevelop an area nearby to Savelovsky Terminal, one of the main large scale rail terminals in Moscow will also be unveiled at Cityscape Global. The mixed-use project will include residential apartments, retail, entertainment, offices, a hotel and schools.
In terms of Dubai-based projects, Nikken Sekkei’s growing portfolio includes the iconic, mixed-use development – One Za’abeel with its twin towers reaching more than 300 metres high situated adjacent to the Dubai World Trade Centre. This unique complex will include a residential tower with 450 apartments, a five-star hotel tower with 370 rooms and a commercial tower offering 500,000 square feet of office space.
Another key project is the Forte Towers, which comprises of twin towers, one of 70 storeys, the other 50 storeys, which is destined to become the second highest residential tower in Dubai after the Burj Khalifa. Each tower will have one, two and three-bedroom units, ranging from 650 to 1800 square feet in size and will be situated in the Downtown Opera District.
Other ongoing regional projects include a landmark tower for the Tadawul HQ (Saudi Stock Exchange) in Riyadh; HQ building for Masraf Al Rayan in Doha; a large residential development in Jeddah, and a waterfront project in Bahrain.

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