New San Mamés: Interview on the visit to Germany

Just arrived from Germany, we’ve interviewed Board members Iñaki Villanueva, Fede Arruti and the Club’s General Secretary, Juan Ignacio Añibarro, in order to gather impressions and details from their visit to the Allianz Arena and the Commerzbank Arena. We have also included some images of these intense two days.

Arruti: ‘The design team needs to contrast our program of requirements with the latest structures and learn how to resolve any problems that are sure to arise.’

Before going into details about the visit, we would like you to explain what phases the project for the construction of a new San Mamés must get through….
The construction of the new San Mamés consists of the following phases: initial design phase, basic project, building or implementation project, pitch completion and opening/commissioning. The basic project is an official document which we hope to have drawn up by March or April. This document, on which all the architectonic characteristics: tiers, facades and sections are defined, meets the criteria to request the building permit. The building or implementation project, where the architects come in as does the functional development of the facilities, is the moment at which, once the necessary conditions are known, companies can place their offers. We want this basic project to be ready by June, since that is the commitment of the board of directors.

In what phase of the project are we?
As can be deduced from the dates cited, we are in the initial design phase.

What importance does this visit have at this point of the overall project?
To be explicit, we would say that it is the point at which the client’s requirements are presented to technicians. It is the most creative moment, the one of site restoration or space conformation. Views are exchanged and there is a meeting point in order to see how proposals can be settled. The design team needs to contrast our program of requirements with the latest structures and learn how to resolve any problems that are sure to arise. This is why we’ve been accompanied by a team from ACXT.IDOM, comprised of project heads, architects, a communications and a security expert; basically all those in charge of drawing up the basic project that is going to give shape to Athletic Club’s provisions.

How has the visit developed?
The visit has had an eminently technical character. We can say we’ve examined both grounds from top to bottom, from the basements to the lightning rods; all magnitudes were verified, while analyzing needs, uses, distributions and circulations. We preferred, over a more institutional visit, to speak to staff and maintenance heads; those who are there in the day-to-day of the ground. We were also looking for something very concrete, the global concept of the building and to see if it was applicable to the new San Mamés. In that sense, we found ourselves with two very compact and modern grounds, one absolutely new and the other built on the foundations of the old, with the latest technology and along the lines of what we want for us.

Villanueva: ‘We understand that any stadium that is built in the XXI century must offer comfort and complimentary services to stimulate attendance’.

As far as the global concept you’ve mentioned, what characteristics do you think a XXI century stadium should have?
We know that we are living in a time when television and new technologies make it more difficult than before for people to attend stadiums. For this reason, we understand that any stadium that is built must offer comfort and complementary services to stimulate attendance. It must be a ground that offers activity also during the week, not only every fortnight and that is going to demand a sizing of services.

¿Will there be other visits?
Yes, we are planning on visiting a couple of grounds in England shortly. More specifically, the New Wembley, which is in its last phase as it’s due to be inaugurated in May, because it’s an emblematic project. Likewise, we’d like to visit the Emirates, Arsenal’s Ground, because we know that its designers were asked to preserve in the new stadium the spirit of old Highbury as far as pressure and proximity of the public and also that its stands continue being a sort of voice box. We’d also like to visit the Nueva Condomina, in Murcia, since it’s a small stadium in which specific functional aspects have been well resolved.

Añibarro: ‘We know that the designers of the Emirates were asked to preserve in the new stadium the spirit of the old Highbury as far as pressure and proximity of the public’

What Allianz aspects are most advisable with respect to the new San Mamés? What ideas could be applicable?
From the Allianz we would keep the circuits destined to the public and the media, the information sign system that uses colours, graphics and pictograms. As far as the necessary comfort of the spectator we would emphasize the special design of general and VIP seating and the spacious corridors. They have perfect visibility, with no obstacles for the public; its facade is extremely original and is equipped with the latest technology. It has an innovative system of protection against lightning strikes and the accesses and seating for the physically impaired are very well designed. We think we could apply the idea of having four changing rooms, the nursery and the fact of having a logo design which has allowed them to create a marketing line around it.

And from the Commerzbank Arena?
The access of the teams to the field, the fact of having its own parking right in the stadium, something that we truly need, the VIP boxes and the Business Club area are well resolved and resemble more what we want than those of the Allianz, as well as the treatment of sponsor’s and collaborating companies’ image. One aspect that has really caught our attention, and which we’ll have to scrutinize, is that of sun exposure and ventilation of the turf. At the Allianz they have to change the turf twice each season and at Frankfurt’s three or four times with an approximate cost of 100,000 euros per change.

What did you think about the stadium’s roof?
It’s a good idea, but that now lacks sense in the new San Mamés, since we are not speaking of a multipurpose stadium, but only a football ground. It is an investment in technology that demands a very high pay out and that would be profitable if it is used quite often. Yes, we do have to think about the importance that the covering materials are going to have, which will have to combine to let light through and avoid shadows.

Any other aspect to highlight…
There would be many to name, but we would like to stress that the media are perfectly located as far as visibility, but it can be improved, and this is what we hope to do, with relation to isolating the commentators’ boxes and the adjacent infrastructures.