ON-A proposes to transform FC barcelona's stadium into city park

this proposal plans to transform the area around barcelona’s famous camp nou stadium into a 26-hectare city park. called ‘nou parc’, the project has been developed by architecture studio ON-A as a way to generate debate about ‘re-naturing’ our cities. the proposal imagines an urban forest that can be realized without replacing the existing buildings, which are positioned below ground. according to the world health organization (WHO), cities should have a minimum of 9 square meters (97 sqf) of green area per inhabitant. barcelona currently has just over 6 square meters (65 sqf).

all images and video © ON-A

‘re-naturing cities and gaining quality space for citizens is no longer just an interesting idea, it is a necessity,’ says jordi fernández, one of the two founding partners of ON-A. as part of the project, the camp nou stadium and its surrounding facilities would be covered by a new topography that would result in a large tree-populated park. the facilities attached to the 99,000-seat arena would be maintained and function independently below the surface of the new park.

aerial view of barcelona and the camp nou stadium re-naturation proposal

currently, the site is a fenced area with little greenery that separates the neighborhoods adjacent to the stadium. this huge space is regularly in disuse, except for sporting events or organized visits to the private facilities. the architects say that the new green space would not only help connect the city and its residents, but would also produce 15,000 kilograms of oxygen and absorb 25,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide each day.

the new green space of ‘nou parc’

technology would be integrated throughout the process to control and predict problems such as water supply and maintenance. ON-A worked alongside verdtical, a company that specializes in urban ecosystems, to plan green roofs and vertical gardens controlled with the help of sensors and artificial intelligence. this technology is capable of minimizing water consumption and can adapt to environmental needs. it also provides surveillance alerts and preventive action in maintenance.

before and after images showing the new 26-hectare green space

ON-A also speculates that two on-site lakes could collect rainwater to be used for the park’s irrigation. ‘we are aware that cities must be re-naturalized, and that green provides unquestionable benefits for health, but the issue is not only green, the debate revolves around blue as well: the water,’ continues jordi fernández. ‘the technology for the control of water consumption has come a long way and allows us to innovate and optimize green areas in urban spaces.’

FC barcelona is currently undertaking a major redevelopment of its camp nou stadium. the plans can be viewed on designboom here.

the topography and the new leisure, sports, and nature areas