The Santiago Bernabéu, the stadium of the Real Madrid football club, was built between 1944 and 1947 and is located in the center of Madrid. After a comprehensive redesign based on a coherent overall concept, the stadium now presents itself as an ultra-modern, multifunctional sports venue. The stadium’s previous capacity of around 80,000 has been expanded by around 2,000 seats.
In addition to leisure, gastronomic and entertainment areas, the expansion and renovation measures include a new all-round façade made of stainless steel slats. The retractable roof construction is also part of the new appearance. The main roof is based on the spoked wheel principle and consists of an inner tension ring connected to the outer pressure ring by 44 radial cables. It is supported on steel brackets of the existing bowl. The cable system carries the steel structure consisting of radial beams and V-supports. The retractable roof above the playing field, with its textile membrane made of PTFE-coated glass fibers, allows a wide range of uses throughout the year, not just for sporting events.
Outside of match times, a “skywalk” offers the opportunity to explore the stadium and makes the Bernabéu an attraction in Madrid even when it is not in use.
