In preparation of Asturias' bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2030, Sordo Madaleno and Orlegi Sports have unveiled a proposal to renovate and remodel the El Molinón stadium, which is home to Real Sporting de Gijón. 

The new El Molinón Stadium, envisioned by Mexico City and London-based practice Sordo Madaleno and Orlegi Sports, will have approximeately 8.8 hectares of public space connected to Gijón, Asturias. During the World Cup, the scheme aims to increase the stadium's capacity to accommodate an additional 9,000 visitors with 33,650 fixed seats.

El Molinón is the site of the oldest professional football field in Spain and has a rich historical significance. The project's main goal is to renovate and improve the current sports infrastructure. 

With a welcoming façade that seamlessly blends the building's old and new elements with the surrounding cityscape, Sordo Madaleno's approach focuses on creating a series of semi-open spaces that offer views over Isabel La Católica Park and San Lorenzo Beach.

Ten covered, open-air circulation ramps that wind around the stadium's exterior were designed by Sordo Madaleno. This results in a visually striking structure that emphasizes the part that spectators, or La Mareona, play in giving the stadium its identity as they move through it. 

All together, the result is a softly red, telegenic, and captivating landmark for the area. Outside of the Olympic season, local joggers can enjoy the comfort of these walkways due to the ramps' gentle gradient, which guarantees independent mobility.

The location of the original pitch, more than 28,000 square meters of the original constructed fabric, and the number of seats for Real Sporting supporters are all retained in the new design by Sordo Madaleno. 

Additionally, it expands upon the stadium's already strong retail offering by adding 12,600 square meters of space devoted to dining establishments, retail stores, and cultural events. 

"Our close collaboration with Real Sporting de Gijón is about rethinking stadium design in a way that makes for atruly public place for everyone in the city to appreciate. It’s about connecting with Asturias and its people throughan inclusive approach to architecture and ensuring that El Molinón thrives beyond 2030," said Fernando Sordo Madaleno de Haro.

Making a structure that serves a purpose other than game days is a key component of Sordo Madaleno's reconsideration of the stadium as an architectural typology. 

This is accomplished at El Molinón through a mixed-use design approach that includes a picturesque rooftop area for events and hospitality, such as local artist exhibitions. This feature will uphold the area's cultural identity and make El Molinón a year-round public destination open to both locals and tourists.

In terms of formal innovation in stadium design, the opening up of the structure to engage with the surrounding parkland and invite the public realm as an extension of its architecture is novel because, typically, sports architects prefer a more hermetic approach of enclosed buildings isolated from their context. 

On game days, supporters, known as La Mareona, march along the stadium ramps in a homecoming procession reminiscent of a pilgrimage, celebrating Sordo Madaleno's openness and highly contextual approach.

"Fernando Sordo Madaleno and his team have prepared a technically outstanding, viable and advanced projectthat will meet FIFA’s requirements. A modern, functional, digital and sustainable stadium," said AlejandroIrarragorri, Chairman of the Board of Real Sporting de Gijón and Orlegi Sports.

Site plan

Floor plan

Section

Axonometric diagram

Project facts

Location: Gijón, Asturias, Spain

Client: Real Sporting de Gijón

Size: 111,532m2

Status: In design

Year: 2024

Partners: Javier Sordo Madaleno Bringas, Javier Sordo Madaleno de Haro, Fernando Sordo Madaleno de Haro

Urban Design Director: Jorge Gerini

Architecture Director: Alba Diaz

Applied Innovation & Technology Leader: Diego Díaz

Design team: Lorena Chávez, Karla Flores, Gerardo Romero, Diego González, Aldo Ávila, Anabel Chávez, Pedro Tortello, Lizbeth Saavedra, María Fernanda García, Diana Monroy, Andrea Pineda, Jacinta González, Luis Miguel Ortiz.

Renderings © Plomp. 

Drawings © Sordo Madaleno.

> via Sordo Madaleno

FIFA World Cup Madrid refurbishment Sordo Madaleno sports arena stadium