ENR 2025 Global Best Projects
Best Project, Specialty Construction: Fully Automated Pitch Changeover Solution at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
A 'pitch' perfect design
The patented Hypogea system uses tracks to quickly and safely move the stadium field, or pitch, for underground storage if needed.
Fully Automated Pitch Changeover Solution at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
Madrid, Spain
Best Project, Specialty Construction
Submitted by Sener
Owner: Real Madrid C.F.
Lead Design Firm | Civil, Structural & MEP Engineer: Sener
Contractor: FCC Construcción
Sener’s retractable Hypogea system to store underground the natural grass soccer field of Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is a key component of its renovation, and of team owner Real Madrid’s vision to transform the iconic venue into a multipurpose “destination” in the heart of the Spanish capital, the project submitter says.
“To achieve this, it was not enough to carry out a renovation that simply improved facilities,” says César Quevedo, Sener director general of mobility. “The project had to go further.” The patented automated system can quickly and safely move the field, dubbed “pitch” in European soccer, to an underground storage space by repositioning trays that divide the playing area into sections. An advanced maintenance system preserves grass quality with lighting, irrigation, ventilation, heating and drainage below, while space above is converted for non-soccer events.
Photo courtesy Sener Mobility
The excavation, which reached depths of 25 to 30 meters, required installation of concrete retaining walls and containment structures to maintain soil stability and prevent displacements that could compromise integrity of the stadium and surrounding buildings, says the team, also noting a continuous monitoring system with sensors to record vibrations, settlements and ground movements in real time.
The retractable pitch project was “always very well received by [Real Madrid] that understood that, together with the retractable roof and the rest of the renovation ... the stadium could host all kinds of events while remaining compatible with sporting activities,” Quevedo says, crediting collaboration for success of the project, which met budget and schedule milestones.
“Given the high complexity of the project, which involved virtually all disciplines of engineering and architecture, a team was assembled comprising the best specialists in each field,” he says. “It’s a space designed to meet the most demanding challenges of the present and the future.”
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