The Museum of Architecture and Design, Chicago Athenaeum, and the European Center for Architecture, Art, Design, and Urban Studies have just revealed the winning projects in their 2023 edition of the International Architecture Awards (IAA). Among these recognitions, the design by IDOM, Nikken Sekkei, and b720 for the Nou Camp Nou stands out.
The renewed design of Camp Nou seeks to achieve a balance between preserving and enhancing the essence of the Project by Mitjans, Soteras, and García-Barbón, inaugurated in 1957, and the concepts of openness, transparency, and connection with the city and the Les Corts neighborhood, as originally envisioned in the proposal by Nikken Sekkei and Pascual-Ausió Arquitectes in 2016.
The comprehensive transformation of Camp Nou will turn it into the largest stadium in Europe, with the capacity to accommodate 105,000 spectators. The project is characterized by preserving the structure of the two original stands from 1957, adding a new structure that houses the third stand, introducing double levels of hospitality areas, and a roof that covers the entire stadium capacity.
The IAA Awards, in their twentieth edition, are one of the oldest international awards and rank among the most prestigious in terms of recognizing excellence in projects worldwide. In 2023, the competition received over 750 submissions.
The official awards ceremony will take place on September 15th at the Acropolis in Greece. Simultaneously, an exhibition of the award-winning projects will be inaugurated at the Contemporary Space Athens. Titled "The City and the World," this exhibition will be open to the public until October 1st.