Espai Barça: where dreams are bigger

What is Espai Barça?

Whoever visited Spotify Camp Nou before, probably noticed that the stadium is not very inviting. From the outside, it looks like a giant block of cement and tourists quickly lower their camera when they see it. Nevertheless, the stadium gets visited by millions of football fans every year, partly because it’s one of the largest stadiums in the world and of course because the inside of the stadium is truly phenomenal. Barcelona thinks that paying a visit to Camp Nou should be even more unforgettable and has instigated the Espai Barça project because of that. The purpose of the project is that Camp Nou will become the centre of a great sports facility. The stadium itself and its surroundings will be fully renovated and modernised with the aim of attracting even more visitors to the area.

How far along are they in the project?

The plans surrounding the project were given a green light in 2014 and a budget of 600 million euro was released. The project was meant to finish in 2021 but this wasn’t feasible due to financial difficulties. The project was utterly reviewed and altered immensely. These alterations will be even more beneficial for the sports complex in the future. The project is up and running and they expect the eventual costs to land around 1.5 billion euros. The roads, bike lanes and walking lanes have been improved so far in order to make it easier for Spotify Camp Nou visitors to reach the stadium. A lot of trees have been planted in the area, as well, to make the environment a lot greener.

What will Espai Barça look like eventually?

The project will transform all facilities of FC Barcelona and will create a modern whole. The Johan Cruyff Stadium, the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, the new Palau Blaugrana, Campus Barça and Spotify Camp Nou are all involved in the project. It must be noted that the first two facilities have already been realised. Information regarding the changes per facility and what it will look like in the future can be found below:

Johan Cruyff Stadium

• Has turned into a modern stadium that can welcome 6000 supporters
• The stadium has become more sustainable

Spotify Camp Nou

• A roof will be installed which will provide shelter for all 105,000 visitors
• Access to the stands will be improved and more seats will be inserted
• A renewed stand on which VIP member can take place will be inserted
• The original VIP ring will be placed higher, which will increase the capacity of the VIP booth
• The stadium will be sustainable
• Modernised technology will be implemented
• Capacity will increase from 99,354 to 105,000

Campus Barça

• A park in which sport and other entertainment events will take place
• The sustainable park will become a spot where sports and entertainment convene and it'll serve as a recreation park for visitors, locals and for kids.
• Mobility and security will be improved on matchdays
• The goal is to make the area more attractive for tourists and locals

Palau Blaugrana

• The capacity will increase to 10,000-15,000 for sports events
• This will become the cultural centre where different kinds of events will take place
• It will replace the Mini Estadi

Would you like to know what it will look like when it’s finished? The video below guides you through the project and creates a visual image for you.