Architect backs Sporting stadium: set for a big World Cup role | OneFootball

The modernization works at José Alvalade Stadium continue to move forward, and Salvador Alonso, the architect in charge of the project, expressed confidence about the importance the Lions' ground will have at the 2030 World Cup. The Spanish expert believes that Sporting's home will be ready to take on a relevant role in the tournament hosted by Portugal, Spain and Morocco.

"José Alvalade Stadium will play a magnificent role in the World Cup," the architect told the website 'Arquitectura y Diseño'. Beyond the sporting side, he also revealed the ambition to turn the stadium into one of the main tourist attractions in the Portuguese capital.

"Our goal is to make José Alvalade Stadium a must-visit attraction for tourism in Lisbon and, above all, to turn it into a space for daily use by citizens," he explained. Salvador Alonso argues that modern stadiums should be designed to operate all year round and not only on matchdays.

In that regard, he added: "Stadiums are still spaces dedicated to football, but only on matchdays. That leaves a total of 325 or 330 days when the venue can have other uses and welcome other audiences. The trend in the coming years is to design stadiums that can adapt to different scenarios."

Among the new features already planned for next season is the 'Lion's Corner', an exclusive area intended to offer fans a different experience. The architect also recalled the importance of removing the moat, one of the first interventions carried out at José Alvalade Stadium.

"The moat was an unnecessary element that created a physical and emotional disconnect between the fans and the spectacle, while also causing major technical problems and operational difficulties in maintaining the pitch. By removing it, we got rid of these drawbacks and also improved the atmosphere, creating a more intimidating environment by bringing the fans closer to the pitch, which also helps the team," he said.

Finally, Salvador Alonso addressed the challenges associated with carrying out the works during the short breaks in competition. The architect highlighted the need to create "more efficient" spaces and admitted that the schedule represents an additional challenge: "It is undoubtedly very complex logistics. Keeping the stadium operational under deadlines like these requires excellent coordination and a great deal of flexibility from many people."

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.