The fact that a stadium inaugurated in September 2017 has been chosen to host the Champions League final is not only due to the technological advances, the capacity in number of spectators, or the access facilities.
Since 1988, when the Community of Madrid approved a new athletics stadium in an area far from the centre, a series of circumstances have made the stadium an iconic and differential brand, which is part of the identity of Madrid, and of Spain, for the rest of the world.
A brand that on 1 June, the date of the Champions League final, made its debut in front of hundreds of millions of viewers around the world. For communication professionalsHow is it possible to achieve such an impact in such a short period of time?
Iconic buildings
In general, the iconic buildings that form part of the identity of the cities where they are located - in Paris Notre Dame, in London Big Ben, in New York the Empire State Building... - have consolidated their status as landmarks after dozens, even hundreds of years.
Many architectural firms know this, and design their building projects with the apriorism, regardless of their conditions, to create symbols that in the future will be universally recognised as icons of the city. It is a way of associating their own architectural office brand with the city's own brand image.
In reality, however, this is often not the case. There is a widespread legend that great works of architecture begin with a simple sketch on a paper napkin that reflects the original creative and different idea. The architects of the Wanda Metropolitano do not think this way.
Because getting an architectural office's construction project to be associated with the image of the city is laborious and requires many hours of painstaking work. A job in which, in order to obtain a result, it is necessary to discard a great many ideas that have previously been sketched on napkins.
For Cruz y Ortiz Architectseach commission is a unique occasion. Because aspects such as the type of building, the client, the scale of the building to be designed, the budget, the country, the city or location, etc. are taken into account. All of these are analysed when starting a design. The clearest example is the Santa Justa AVE high-speed train station in Seville, designed by Cruz y Ortiz Arquitectos. A building that combines the functional, the innovative and the distinctive. There is, therefore, no such apriorism of achieving iconic buildings, which has so often given rise to unsuccessful construction projects.
The Wanda Metropolitano is another example of how the combination of qualities such as efficiency, innovation, creativity and functionality can build an iconic brand. In this case, in a very short time.
The origin: La Peineta
When, in 1994, the athletics stadium was inaugurated for the city and the community of Madrid, the building was given the label of "La Peineta", simply because of the resemblance of the only grandstand visible to the naked eye with this feminine adornment. Initially a somewhat "maledictive" adjective, over time it has become its main branding quality, a more affectionate and familiar name for the people of Madrid.
Because no other stadium in the world had a stand that looked like that. And because it was located a long way from the centre of Madrid, in a secluded and lonely area, its profile was visible from miles around.
The failure of Madrid's three Olympic bids - 2012, 2016 and 2020 - had, paradoxically, a beneficial effect. Because it managed to draw the attention of public institutions, citizens, companies, and the national and international media to a facility that was intended to be the nerve centre of the Olympic Games in Madrid.
Changes and improvements
To meet this challenge, Cruz y Ortiz Arquitectos came up with a new design for the "Peineta", which envisaged converting a stadium with a capacity of just 19,000 spectators into one with a capacity for 75,000. With an important advantage: the structure was already in place, so all that was needed was to extend the stadium with new stands and adapt the urban design of the area to the new needs.
Once the Olympic Games were ruled out, Club Atlético de Madrid looked to the "Peineta" as its future home, taking into account the limitations of the Vicente Calderón stadium in terms of location and age. The club wanted a new stadium to match its growth in sporting and economic terms.
Atlético wanted to take advantage of the many benefits of the building. For example, in terms of accessibility - proximity to the M40 and the airport, the new Metro connection - visibility, iconic image, or the lower population density of the area compared to others in Madrid - which meant lower land costs -, among others.
And so, it decided to acquire the plot and the building, agreeing with Madrid City Council on the necessary changes to the Urban Development Plan. And commissioning Cruz y Ortiz Arquitectos to design and build a new stadium that would meet its objectives and adapt to UEFA's requirements for hosting European and world competitions.
It is also a multi-purpose facility, with which to generate growing income through sporting competitions, business and commercial activity, cultural events, and others. A building to be used 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
A differential stage
The successful combination of all these factors has achieved for the Wanda Metropolitano the challenge of hosting the Champions League final, and with it, an enormous resonance for Madrid and Spain, from a new icon that identifies Madrid and Spain for the rest of the world. Because in football, billions of people follow with passion everything that happens around them.
The "product" that Cruz y Ortiz Arquitectos, the Madrid institutions, and Atlético de Madrid have managed to position in the world of football in 18 months, has qualities that make it undoubtedly differential. Capacity for almost 68,000 spectators; more than 4,200 parking spaces; 142,000 square metres of surface area; and most importantly, a cost of 200 million euros, half of what is usual in projects of this size.
The innovative roof is made of strong and flexible materials such as Teflon, and is designed in such a way as to balance tensile and compressive forces, saving structures - and costs - for its support. And its flaming wave shape, designed by the need to cover the original and new stands with a harmonious design, is the differential touch that makes the stadium's image iconic.
The Wanda Metropolitano is, for all these reasons, an inspiring example for business communication professionals, who seek to position our clients' brands as leaders in their sector with distinctive qualities and competitive advantages.
Javier Ferrer
Director Financial Communication Area Proa Comunicación