The new San Mames stadium has joined the long list of architectural landmarks in the Biscayan capital, which include the Guggenheim Museum and the Iberdrola Tower among many others.
In fact, the architecture of San Mames has led to the new stadium receiving several awards and recognition internationally. The last major award it received was the best sports building in the world, a prize awarded by the World Architecture Festival held in Singapore in 2015. On that occasion, the architecture of the San Mames stadium beat other buildings that were in the final phase of the Sport – Completed Buildings category. The others included the “London Aquatics Centre” in London, “Fisht Olympic Stadium” in Sochi and the “Margaret Court Arena” in Melbourne.Some of the San Mames stadium’s features
- San Mames has a capacity of 53,000 spectators and has all the amenities of a leading stadium in Europe.
- It has a characteristic, semitransparent, permeable façade, presenting an architectural work that stands out for its uniqueness, strengthening links with the city and the environment.
With the award as the best sports building in the world, the stadium not only received a very distinguished award, but also, on the same day, Athletic beat Partizan Belgrade 5-1 and the San Mames BAT was launched. But that is not the only recognition that has made San Mames a great stadium. UEFA has also recognised the high quality of the new ground, classifying it as a Category 4 Elite Stadium. The San Mames ground also stands out for its design, comfort, safety, access and the diversity of the services it offers. These characteristics are what have led the San Mames stadium to receive several awards since its opening, making it a leading stadium internationally.
