The iconic Camp Nou is preparing for a historic transformation with the addition of an innovative rooftop in the new Spotify Camp Nou. The Turkish company Limak Construction, responsible for this ambitious task, was inspired by its previous experience with the Çanakkale suspension bridge to carry out this architectural feat.
The Camp Nou, famous for its protective grandstand visor that shielded spectators from the sun and rain, will see a radical transformation with the Spotify Camp Nou. The new infrastructure, scheduled to fully open in August 2026, will be the first to have all its seats under one roof.
“The roof is the most complex part of the project,” admits Haldun Firat Köktürk, general manager of Limak Construction. The complexity of the task is not taken lightly and to tackle it, the Turkish company draws on the experience gained during the construction of the Çanakkale suspension bridge, the longest in the world.
Spotify Camp Nou: engineering inspired by Çanakkale
Resit Yildiz, Limak’s project manager and a key player in the construction of the Çanakkale Bridge, has moved to Barcelona to oversee the Spotify Camp Nou project. The Çanakkale Bridge, opened in March 2022, became a landmark by linking the lands of the Dardanelles Strait over the Sea of Marmara.
The impressive bridge required precise engineering with 18,000 wires braided into a beehive shape to stabilize and support the roadway. This technique will serve as the inspiration for the Big Lift tensioned roof on Barcelona’s new stadium.
Challenges and dimensions
The Spotify Camp Nou will have a 48,000 square meter roof, integrating screens that will function as video scoreboards. Although the project presents significant challenges, Limak is confident in its experience and planning.
The total length of the wires used in the stadium roof is 23 kilometers, compared to the 1,300 kilometers used in the Çanakkale bridge. The total weight of the structural steel and cables for the roof amounts to 7,500 tons, compared to 125,000 tons for the bridge.
Limak Construction demonstrates meticulous planning by pre-booking essential materials for the project, including wires from Italy, Germany and France. “We have had the wires and steel reserved for a long time,” Köktürk reveals.
The cable structure is expected to be hoisted in November 2024, allowing Barcelona to continue playing at home while the roof is completed during the summer of 2025.
The addition of this roof marks a milestone in the evolution of Camp Nou and Limak Construction is preparing to transform the stadium, applying knowledge gained from previous projects and providing a new spectator experience.
The new roof will not only protect from the sun and rain, but will also represent a symbol of innovation and modernity in the heart of Catalan soccer.
