20 BEST BUILDS
WANDA METROPOLITANO
Location: Madrid, Spain
Capacity: 68,000
Tenants: Atlético Madrid FC
Opened: September 2017
Originally built as part of an unsuccessful bid to stage the 1997 world athletics championships,
the stadium was acquired by Atlético Madrid in 2013 after a decade of disuse. Architects Cruz y
Ortiz were tasked to transform its modest interior into an efficient and functional venue to
supersede its previous home ground, the ageing Vicente Calderón Stadium.
The existing 20,000-seat stand – known locally as ‘La Peineta’ due to its resemblance to an
ornamental comb – was retained, the playing surface was lowered and 96% of its new 67,000
seats were covered with a radial sunshade comprised of 500,000ft² (46,500m²) of flexible
fiberglass and polytetrafluoroethylene panels. The roof was specially engineered to balance
tension and compressive forces to eliminate the need for additional structure – and cost – for its
support. The tensile membrane is white to reflect the sunlight but also intended to provide
contrast to the grey concrete mantle that connects to the bowl to the ground plane.
The venue houses only LED lighting fixtures, which reduces power and electrical consumption
by approximately 30%. Moreover, it is designed to accommodate all types of events and business
meetings with more than 11,000m² dedicated to hosting conferences and events of all kinds.
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