Villarreal CF has undertaken an impressive project to refurbish its stadium and bring it up to the level of the best stadiums in Europe
Villarreal CF has made a firm and strong commitment to the future. With a great deal of effort, the Yellows have carried out an impressive renovation to turn the Estadio de la Cerámica into one of the best stadiums in Europe. This Saturday, after more than seven and a half months of intense work at the Yellows’ home ground, the Submarine will return home to play against Valencia (4.15pm CET) and thus relaunching their refurbished ground, which will be completed during the first quarter of 2023.
The Estadio de la Cerámica transformation project, which was presented on 11th May at the El Ceramista restaurant, has been spearheaded by IDOM, a prestigious international engineering and architecture company, which has already participated in important projects such as the construction of Athletic Club’s Nuevo San Mamés, the remodelling of River Plate’s Estadio Monumental, as well as the design and construction of the new roof of the Ciutat de València. For its part, the local construction company Alviben has been in charge of the management of the works.
An impressive transformation in record time
With no time to lose, the work began on Monday 16th May. One day after the penultimate LaLiga fixture, which was the Submarine’s last match at the Estadio de la Cerámica, the turf was taken up and a long renovation process began, which will see the stadium officially be reopened on the last day of 2022 and will continue its course until it is completely finished during the first quarter of 2023.
A project costing €50 million
The major transformation of the Estadio de la Cerámica will cost approximately 50 million euros. In the middle of its centenary year, Villarreal CF has made a major financial effort, despite the difficulties and the supply crisis, to modernise its stadium and bring it up to the level of the best in the world. An important step in the evolution that the club has undergone season after season since the arrival of Fernando Roig as president.
A boost for the club, the town and the ceramics sector
This refurbishment is an important step forward for the club’s stable, ambitious and very exciting project, but the remodelling is not only a boost for the club, but also for the town of Vila-real and, of course, for the projection and international exposure of the ceramics sector in the province of Castellón, which, with its current name, Villarreal intends to promote.
The major new features of the spectacular reform
The transformation of the Estadio de la Cerámica gives the stadium architectural unity as a whole and improves the fans’ experience, incorporating the most modern infrastructures for television broadcasts, creating an incomparable football atmosphere and integrating it in a more sustainable and friendly way with the urban environment.
So far, with the renovation work, the total cladding of the façade of the Estadio de la Cerámica has been completed, the ground has been completely enclosed with the construction of the new stand in the corner, between the Preferencia and Fondo Sur stands and a new roof has been built, which covers the entire seating area of the stadium and allows all the television infrastructure to be housed while improving the fans’ enjoyment of the stadium and their experience.
Furthermore, all the seats in the stadium have been upgraded, two giant 21×7 metre video scoreboards have been installed (300 m2 of screen) and a spectacular sound system, as well as new LED sports and architectural lighting.
In the coming months, the transformation work will continue, with the construction of new interior spaces: a multi-purpose room at the top of the Fondo Sur with views of the pitch and the square, the complete refurbishment of the Entrelíneas Restaurant and a new space for the Villarreal CF museum. The Sky-Cam will also be incorporated in the near future.
The club will also reaffirm its commitment to renewable energies, with the installation of photovoltaic panels on the roof for the self-consumption of the stadium, with the aim of generating a positive environmental impact.
