This year the European Champions League has been an historical match, for the first time, two spanish teams from the city of Madrid play against each other to win the major football title in Europe.

But while spanish football teams play against each other in the European league, spanish architects are playing together to build new football stadiums in the capital of Spain.

At the beginning of this year, Real Madrid board of directors held a contest between four international architectural teams to renew their stadium adding a shopping and hotel complex with views over the football field. The project was awarded to the team formed by spanish architects L35, GMP and Ribas&Ribas who designed a renovation project with a vanguard concept: a new skin will cover the whole complex with undulating metal bands and a retractable roof will cover the football field and seating stands. This cover will transform the old concrete building into a new architectural landmark in the city.

According to Florentino Pérez, president of the club, “we want it to be the best football stadium in the world and an icon of modern architecture“. And for sure they have selected a great team of architects to make it possible; GMP leader, Volkwin Marg has been involved in the construction of more than 20 stadiums worldwide, while L35 and Ribas&Ribas are internationally renowned architectural teams with great public projects in their portfolio.

But as it often happens, when two football teams are fighting in the same league in the same city, the competition goes further than the game and it also takes place in the city. Thus, Atletico de Madrid football club has also recently started the renewal of its stadium.

But even thought, football allows different budget teams play against each other, in architecture different they must play different leagues, as Atletico de Madrid budget is slightly lower than Real Madrid’s. This is why the renewal of their stadium will only include the enlargement of the seating stands reaching an Olympic size of 70,000 spectators and a roof cover.

Atletico de Madrid commissioned the works to the same team of architects who had already designed the stadium, Seville architects Cruz y Ortiz. The stadium known as La Peineta “the comb”, due to the appearance of the stadium stands which reminds to a classical spanish folklorical comb.

This time Real Madrid has won the match in the football and in the architectural field.

Atletico de Madrid stadium extension by Cruz y Ortiz architects

Santiago Bernabeu stadium shopping area