Real Madrid's $1 Billion Super Stadium Upgrade (Full Episode) | Megastructures | National Geographic

[Narrator] Real Madrid has won more Champions League titles than any other football team.

It has over half a billion online followers around the world.

Voted best club of the 20th century by FIFA, it's now gearing up for a stadium renovation, to keep it a leader into the 21st.

[President, translated] We wanted to take on the challenge of making it even more monumental.

So that beyond playing football, it could be the entertainment center that Madrid needed.

[Man, translated] If you work for a club that wants to be a global benchmark, the world's best, its home has to be a global benchmark and the world's best.

[Narrator] The new stadium will dazzle with a new steel shell and a fully retractable roof.

It will boast a massive, 360-degree video scoreboard, as well as an underground logistics ring.

And revolutionary technology will allow it to grow and store the turf underground.

But Real Madrid insists on playing in its home stadium throughout construction.

throughout construction.

And such a huge demand means things are going to get very complicated.

[Man, translated] It's insane from a project management standpoint.

[Narrator] Designers and engineers will have to think outside the box and borrow solutions from other disciplines to try to untangle each building challenge.

[Man, translated] No one has ever taken on a project like this one, anywhere.

[Narrator] Five years of work in the heart of the European Union's second most populated city, an army of workers launched on an extraordinary adventure that will push them to the limit.

♪ ♪ [Narrator] In the center of the Spanish capital, Real Madrid embarks on a radical transformation of its arena.

And it wants it done in three years.

The new stadium will be encased in metal.

It will have a new roof, with a retractable mid-section; 8,000 square meters of surface area can be opened or closed as needed.

A 360-degree video scoreboard will be created; 4,000 square meters of screens.

And the construction of an underground logistics ring with street access will allow trucks and supplies to reach all points of the complex.

[Javier González, translated] Each one of these undertakings would be very significant, complicated, and massive on its own.

But this project brings them all together.

[Narrator] This monumental facelift will require working around a set of limitations.

Much of the original stadium and its 77-year history must be preserved.

A train line running just below the pitch must be skirted.

And it will all go down in the heart of a city of nearly 3.5 million inhabitants.

[cheering] Yet, the main obstacle is something else altogether.

[González] One of the conditions was that Real Madrid had to play every home game in their stadium.

[Narrator] The first big challenge is removing the old roof.

1,200 tons of steel that a handful of specialists will have to dismantle in a balancing act at 70 meters in the air.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [Narrator] This intricate work will take six months.

Meanwhile, the demolition team attacks the outer perimeter.

By summer, work is underway in every corner of the stadium.

[Jesús J. Mateos] This is a compendium of all the problems you can find in our work.

Problem of logistics, problem of technique, problem of design.

We are working on the play ground, we are working in the stands, we are working on the roof.

We are working in the logistical ring.

If you are working outside, you need to close all the space in order to avoid problems of safety.

And this is really complex.

[Narrator] Project management works to keep it all under control.

But they have no idea what's in store for them.

The basis of this overhaul is a huge metal box that will protect the old structure, while holding up the new façade and roof.

Two main mega-trusses span nearly 180 meters and weigh 2,000 tons each.

And they can not be assembled on the pitch.

[Carlos López-Palanco, translated] No one has ever had to build a structure like this and not been able to work from underneath.

We brought in design innovation and building methodology from big bridges.

The parts of tall bridges under construction cannot be lifted from off the ground.

It's the same here.

We wanted to make sure that whatever needed to happen inside the stadium could happen.

Because it's a football stadium.

[Narrator] This operation began months ago, nearly 600 kilometers away.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ This is where the roof's metal structure is being manufactured.

250 workers in rotating shifts, 24 hours a day in order to deliver 14,000 tons of steel in record time.

But their job is far from over.

[Damián López, translated] The Santiago Bernabeu Stadium has four bases like this one, and they are critical cornerstone pieces that hold up the building's entire roof.

♪ ♪ [Narrator] The joints between the parts must be made to perfection, and it will take 250 tons of solder to do so.

[López] Any welding error in load-bearing joints of a structure of this kind would have very serious consequences.

[Narrator] The structure of the new roof will weigh twice as much as the Eiffel Tower.

[López] The total length of this truss is 180 meters.

And they each weigh around 2,000 tons.

The project includes two.

Here, we have a mock-up assembly of a quarter of a truss.

[Narrator] This mock-up at the workshop is to check for any faults.

But the job will only be done once it gets installed in the new stadium.

♪ ♪ Today is a decisive day.

The hardest part of the assembly is joining the two halves.

And there's no room for error.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ The structure arrived as separate parts, and were then assembled on either side of the stadium.

Up top, there's only room for a handful of specialists.

The two 500-ton pieces have to be perfectly aligned, and all without occupying the playing field down below.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [López-Palanco] This is the first time this has ever been done, and I don't know if anyone will dare to do it again.

[Narrator] It will take three days to fit the mega-truss together.

Together with its twin, they'll support the full weight of the new roof.

♪ ♪ Orchestrating each and every job in the heart of Madrid is another insurmountable task on this project.

[Mateos] The logistic of the project is close to hell.

We are dealing each day with traffic collapse, with the lack of space for storage and the lack of space for installations.

The lack of space for machinery.

I think that we have needed to use at the same time more than 15 cranes.

Not only the fixed cranes, but moveable cranes, big moveable cranes, so, up to 800 tons capacity.

And all this has to be developed in a very small space that it's two weeks needs to be used for one match.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [Narrator] In a few hours, Real Madrid will face Manchester City, and the stadium must be transformed.

The routine is always the same.

Clear out the machinery, clean and prep the space.

Getting it all ready to welcome the fans is a full day's work.

[Mateos] The main problem is the fact that you have to deal with 80,000 people coming to the stadium with all the requirements of safety accomplished.

[Narrator] The five fixed cranes are also impacted by the safety measures.

Two hours before game time, operators take up their spots high above, to keep the cranes away from the stands and the playing field.

[Narrator] Down below, the stadium belongs to the fans for a few hours.

Real Madrid is playing in the European Champions League, the contest between the world's most important clubs.

The crane operators stay up until one hour after the stadium has been cleared.

[Commentator] Up the field, straight in there, shot a goal.

Out of bounds!

[Narrator] No one could see it coming, but the routine of alternating between the renovation and sporting events is about to come to a crashing halt.

[Dr. Tedres Adhanom Ghebreyesus] We're deeply concerned by the alarming levels of spread and severity.

We have therefore made the assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic.

[Narrator] The renovation that began in 2019 is the last page in a story one century in the making.

Construction of this stadium begins in 1944, allowing a club founded in the early 20th century to keep winning and growing its fan base.

Its charismatic president, Santiago Bernabeu, endorses a project that will eventually bear his name.

It's the grandest arena in Europe, able to hold 100,000 spectators.

Here, in 1956, the club begins carving out its reputation by taking home the Champions League title five years in a row.

The most prestigious trophy a football club can win.

Real Madrid has given its home a makeover several times over the years, making it safer and more comfortable.

Since 2007, it's been one of the FIFA elite stadiums. Today, with over half a billion online followers, it's the most popular football club in the world.

And among its over 100 trophies, its 15 European cups is record-breaking.

[cheering] ♪ ♪ The COVID-19 pandemic hit Spain nine months after the start of construction.

League matches are allowed during the state of emergency, but with empty stands.

Real Madrid decides to play at its sports complex on the outskirts of the capital city.

But even this cloud has its silver lining.

For as long as the lockdown lasts, work can be done using the pitch.

And so the dream of turning the stadium into a multi-functional entertainment space that the city can more make use of starts to take shape.

Where football was being played a few days ago, this gigantic hole is now being dug.

[Martín de Oleza, translated] We've excavated about seven meters so far, and we have another 15 or 16 meters to go.

[Narrator] This cavity will be called the Hypogeum.

[Mateos] Without the pandemic, we couldn't have made the Hypogeum in the way we did, or use the design that was finally chosen.

[Narrator] A state-of-the-art system for hiding the turf will be installed here.

This will allow the stadium to be used not only for playing football, but also for concerts, conventions, and all kinds of events.

Divided into six panels, the turf will be stored underground.

Automatic watering, temperature and lighting systems must keep it in perfect condition.

And the panels will only see the outdoors on game days.

[Florentino Pérez, translated] Taking the turf, dividing it into six slats to lower down into a greenhouse, that was a real challenge.

It had no precedent, meaning this is something we came up with.

But it could also solve the same issue in other pitches around the world.

[Narrator] The walls of the cavity could crumble, and so the ground must be reinforced.

A total of 500 anchors will let the excavation safely proceed down to 23 meters deep.

Another team of engineers has been working for months on a perimeter tunnel that will revolutionize the logistics inside the stadium.

[Pablo Francés, translated] For the staff, this is much more important than the roof.

Being able to cross the stadium with no need to leave it, and the convenience that entails, is unique.

No other stadium in the world has an indoor ring like this.

[Narrator] The tunnel will allow for the movement of trucks and supplies.

It will be linked to the various levels by means of elevators, and big rigs can drive onto the pitch via a grandstand that elevates.

But that's not all.

A few kilometers from the stadium, the engineers are facing yet another challenge of this project.

They're testing the retractable roof.

[Carlos Amieva, translated] The beds that carry the trusses are moving on a horizontal plane at a specific speed.

But because the drivers that are opening the rods have an angular movement, it is totally different from the horizontal one.

[beeping] [Narrator] The goal: to get 12 72-meters-long sections to fold and unfold in sync.

If the assembly is too heavy, it will jeopardize the mechanization.

Using aeronautical engineering, steel and composite have been combined so that each section weighs only 50 tons.

[López-Palanco] We sought out solutions that did not exist to achieve results no one else had.

That's what makes the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium special.

[Narrator] Adjustments and troubleshooting are now essential.

When the time comes, the retractable roof will have to be put together in record time.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [Narrator] Polar storm Filomena strikes Madrid, the worst blizzard in 50 years.

Building collapses, snowed-in streets.

But even in freezing temperatures, the show must go on for the crews.

The initial budget of 525 million euros is at risk of going over.

♪ ♪ With springtime comes a break.

But coming just around the corner is one of the job's most complicated challenges.

The base of the retractable roof is made up of four structural trusses.

And they'll have to be lifted one at a time.

[Narrator] This piece measures 144 meters and weighs 805 tons.

And it moves at a speed of 10 centimeters per minute.

The slightest imbalance could prove fatal.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Once up, the two joined trusses must be moved to the other end of the stadium.

[López-Palanco] This is the crucial part.

We're going to do the first transfer of an assembled set of pieces, across the main beams, weighing about 2,000 tons.

♪ ♪ There is nothing trickier for the structure than to withstand 2,000 tons moving from one end to the other.

It changes the bearing of the load, the bearing of stress on each part of the beams throughout the journey.

♪ ♪ It's true that this is a prototype, and it's a kind of engineering adventure.

But it's made by people who are used to this kind of adventure.

[Narrator] The whole operation takes seven months.

With the four trusses up, the large metal box that protects the old part of the building is complete.

Encased in steel, it will be the most striking feature of the new Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

In the far northwest of Spain, the wraparound façade is taking shape.

The design is complex and organic.

And to make it a reality, the engineers will use a complicated design of separately produced pieces that will be fit together.

[Víctor Arca, translated] You only have to look at it.

All the shapes are curvy and wavy.

It's geometrically complex and every piece is different.

There are 6,600 slats, and they're all unique.

After we add all the parts for building them, the 6,600 slats are transformed into almost half a million different components.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [Narrator] This stainless steel wraparound façade in the very heart of the city could be hazardous;

blinding drivers or giving off too much heat.

To prevent it, an impact study of the sunlight on the building was performed over an entire year.

And steel plates were manufactured with varying levels of sheen and reflectance.

In the south of Spain, metal has been melted down to build the new façade.

1,500 tons of the most rust-resistant stainless steel must be obtained from it.

♪ ♪ [siren] Three graphite electrodes form an electric arc that melts it all in just 13 minutes' time.

[Rubén Lara] We have right now here, about 1,600 degree, a higher temperature than inside a volcano.

♪ ♪ [Narrator] This red-hot solution is poured into these gigantic ladles that can hold 120 tons.

Scrap metal makes up 80% of the steel.

But the secret of the alloy lies in the other 20%.

A sample is taken from each pouring to determine how much chromium, nickel and manganese need to be added to obtain the finest steel.

After a controlled cooling process, the steel is cut into manageable slabs.

[Lara] We have started with one slab of 12.9 meters and 200-millimeter thickness, and we finish at the end of all the process with one coil of 1.8-millimeter thickness and 1,200-meter length.

[Narrator] A final process gives it the precise degree of sheen and reflectance.

[bell ringing] [Lara] This is the most important part of the control.

Not only for the visual aspect, it's also for the neighbor safety.

[Narrator] The coils are cut into sheets, and the steel begins its journey.

In nine months, it should be on the stadium façade, as long as trouble doesn't rear its ugly head.

[Narrator] The revamping of the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium began more than two years ago.

A massive steel box will protect the old part of the structure and act as the base for a new, futuristic façade and a partially retractable roof.

An underground ring-shaped logistics tunnel will facilitate the flow of supplies throughout the stadium, a 360-degree video scoreboard will bring the entertainment closer to the spectators.

And in this pit, a trailblazing system will be installed for storing the pitch underground.

Thus making the stadium available for concerts and all kinds of events.

But pulling this off in the middle of a city of nearly 3.5 million inhabitants has its drawbacks.

Any oversized loads must be delivered at night.

These trucks are hauling in the slabs that will cover the enormous pit under the pitch.

[radio chatter] [Narrator] The ground is not level, and the wheels lose traction.

[beeping] [bleep] [Narrator] In 45 days, Real Madrid wants to play its first league match at home with spectators in the stands.

But building the Hypogeum has left an enormous hole where the playing field should be.

The crew has just a month and a half to get everything ready for game day.

[López-Palanco] Any coordination setback becomes financial and deadline shambles, with very serious consequences for projects like this.

[Narrator] To cover the Hypogeum, 35 panels like this are needed.

[Cayetano Roldán, translated] We're talking 27-ton panels, and the margin of error in manufacturing and positioning is only 10 millimeters.

♪ ♪ There's no room for failure.

So, we work Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, 24 hours a day, assembling parts day and night, to make sure that by Thursday, none are left uninstalled.

It's tricky, but we're trying, and we're getting there.

♪ ♪ [Mateos] The client has been pressing hard to fulfil its objective, because obviously, it can't let anyone think that a club like Real Madrid might up and say, "We're not playing this weekend."

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [López-Palanco] I swore it seemed impossible before we did it.

But we worked day and night, and everyone involved cut their work plan in half, which made them hire double their crews.

And getting that first match played in September was a feat that I don't think anyone will ever try to achieve again.

Because there was no plan B.

♪ ♪ [Narrator] Covering the Hypogeum has generated another obstacle.

There is now only one exit point for the machinery and all the thousands of cubic meters of dirt it removes.

And the excavation is still only halfway through.

[Francés] We're now at the third level of anchors.

Until the whole line is fully executed and all 88 anchors are tightened, and their instrumentation installed, we won't be able to dig down to the next level.

♪ ♪ [Narrator] To make sure this excavator never stops, all the auxiliary machines have to work at full capacity, seven days a week.

[Francés] How many trips have we done today?

[Builder, translated] 28, and this one's load 29.

[Francés] 29, counting this one.

What we do is we load here with a second truck on constant standby, ready to leave.

Then the next one drives in.

That's how we reduce the time scales.

[Narrator] Including the construction of the Hypogeum in the renovation has pushed back absolutely every deadline.

After two and a half years of work, there's no guessing when it will be finished.

[Narrator] The sections of the retractable roof must be lifted to the very top for assembly.

Not only are the deadlines piling up in the stadium, so are the problems. [Rafael Ruiz, translated] We're going full steam ahead to make our deadlines.

We've had almost a week of winds that made a mess of our hoisting, disrupting us.

But it looks like we can finally finish the job today.

♪ ♪ [Narrator] This is the last of the 12 trusses that will comprise the retractable roof.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [Ruiz] 72 meters, a 50-ton load.

That's why it's such a difficult maneuver.

It's a feat of engineering.

Amazing.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [Narrator] With the sections in position, the retractable roof enters its final phase.

Giant inflatable pads are installed in the gaps of the structure to make it watertight.

[David Calvera, translated] This roof is unique in that it has to open, inflate the pad, deflate it, and then fold up.

[Narrator] The padding system is designed to ensure that all the rainwater that falls on 8,000 square meters of retractable roof will quickly drain away.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ For the new multi-functional stadium to succeed,

the grass must be grown in artificial conditions and spend up to 300 days of the year hidden away in the Hypogeum.

This has never been done before.

Real Madrid has set up this agronomic laboratory to figure out how.

And they only have one year to do it.

Lighting, watering and nutrition systems, monitoring with sensors, and everything is tailor-made.

[Raúl Naharro, translated] We can currently generate predictive models for growth and for pests using a series of measurements and algorithms that we're creating and generating in order to anticipate possible issues or errors in the turf.

♪ ♪ [Narrator] Different lights are tested for their power to enhance the growth of the grass.

[José María Fernández, translated] It's a constant evolution, a constant learning process, as we close in on our goal, which is to have the best turf in the world.

♪ ♪ [beeping] ♪ ♪ [Narrator] The agronomic laboratory has been built in the same sports complex where the players from the club's various levels and sections train and live together.

[Fernández] Here we've replicated the construction system that Bernabeu Stadium will have.

♪ ♪ [Narrator] Some of the youth team players have volunteered.

They will be the first to try out the new pitch.

[Fernández] This is for football playing, so we have to see how it performs with football and all its routine damage.

And to see how we respond inside with the recovery process of all that damage caused.

[Narrator] The challenge now is to replicate this turf inside the stadium.

Otherwise, building the Hypogeum will have been pointless.

With the Hypogeum excavated, the work to equip it is now full steam ahead.

[Javier Rodríguez, translated] A month, month and a half ago, there was nothing here.

This doesn't ever stop.

We only have a break when there's a match on.

[Narrator] These structures are what will allow the pitch to be stored underground.

Their placement will determine whether the multi-functional stadium becomes a reality.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ The slats, manufactured in Galicia, are arriving for their installation on the façade.

[Carmen Arenas, translated] The slats don't move from top to bottom, left to right.

But they do need to tolerate some internal rotation, brought about by the effects of the variations in temperature and wind suction.

♪ ♪ [Narrator] The stadium's metal skin will consist of 13,200 slats, each one unique, which will give it a distinctive look.

Its strategic location means this stadium will be a new landmark in Madrid.

The design and investment of five years of work, and over 1.1 billion euros was not undertaken with only football in mind.

[Rocío Omanas, translated] What we've done is enhance the stadium's integration in the city.

Space has been freed up.

This area has been enriched.

It's been cleared, and now you can see with some perspective.

♪ ♪ [Narrator] A rooftop skywalk has also been built, offering not only a view of the playing field, but also an unprecedented 360-degree panoramic view of the city.

[Omanas] It's a fantastic scenic view, isn't it?

You don't have to be a Real Madrid fan to enjoy this walk in the sky.

[beeping] [Narrator] Today, Real Madrid will face Liverpool in a Champions League match.

Complying with the core condition that no international game can be affected means work must be put on hold three days in advance of play.

Before the fans arrive, a delegation checks the evacuation and risk prevention measures, as well as the various entrances and exits.

[Carmen Álvarez, translated] That's not five meters.

It's not five meters from that stone.

It'll have to come out.

They were told they can put it against the fence.

[Narrator] Any problem detected now could jeopardize the fans' access to the game.

[Álvarez] The first matches were very complex.

Very complex.

The inspections lasted over two hours because nothing was ever exactly the same.

This one's fine.

[González, translated] Traffic is gone on Concha Espina.

We can remove the barriers.

♪ ♪ [Narrator] In addition to meticulous safety reviews, managers must ensure the stadium offers Internet access and cell service throughout the complex.

[Santiago Acedo, translated] The concept of the infinite stadium means being able to consume the Real Madrid experience, anywhere in the world, anytime and anywhere.

[Narrator] Time to be put to the test.

80,000 spectators descend upon the stadium, packing it to the rafters.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [Narrator] In the final stretch of the stadium renovation, crews are racing to finish installing the giant video scoreboard.

It will be a real showstopper for the fans.

But the design of a continuous, 360-degree screen poses a construction dilemma, especially in the corners.

They must find a way to adapt to the expansion and contraction of the metal structure, where the screens are fixed.

[Acedo] Here you can see the frame where the LED strips are mounted, the sticks.

They let us shape it so that we can adapt them to each corner.

So, it's practically tailor-made.

[Narrator] Once finished, the video scoreboard will have 4,000 square meters of screens, with state-of-the-art audiovisual technology.

[Acedo] It's the most spectacular feature.

And when they create content tailored to it, it'll be absolutely incredible.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [Narrator] The Hypogeum is finally up and running.

All the automatic systems designed in the agronomic laboratory have now been rolled out underground.

And the ground staff, with their new, smaller electric machines, spread out over all six levels.

Everyone goes above and beyond to make sure the grass is ideal for playing football.

[Fernández] It can't be off by a single millimeter.

It has to be perfectly in line.

If not, there'd be a gap or it would overlap the turf next to it.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [beeping] ♪ ♪ [Narrator] After five years of challenge and adversity, the new stadium's major construction feats have been achieved.

[González] The unknown is what attracts you.

It's frightening at first.

But the end reward, when the work really pulls through, is greater.

[Narrator] The mechanization of the Hypogeum means that the panels that form the pitch can be taken out exclusively for football matches.

♪ ♪ The retractable roof unfolds, rises, and ensures absolute watertightness in just 20 minutes.

♪ ♪ [Mateos] The stadium has innovations that will set trends and define an era in the world of stadium construction.

♪ ♪ [Narrator] The Santiago Bernabeu Stadium facelift has been gradual.

And not once did it disrupt the club's operations.

[cheering] ♪ ♪ Today is another big match day.

Real Madrid versus Bayern Munich.

Expectations run high.

The winner will qualify for the UEFA Champions League Final.

[Narrator] To mark the occasion, a surprise has been planned for the fans.

[Narrator] The video scoreboard makes its international competition debut.

[Acedo, translated] The stadium experience must be enhanced.

That's where all the audiovisual features in the new stadium come into play.

A 360-degree video scoreboard of fantastic proportions and an acoustic system that provides an immersive experience.

[Narrator] But for the fans to enjoy the game, others have to give the event their full focus.

[Acedo, translated] In this room, we control absolutely everything that happens in the stadium.

All the operations, all the systems that oversee the production of an event that is 100% successful and safe.

Obviously, very tense moments happen during the event.

But that's precisely so that everything turns out well.

The aim is for the spectators to come and enjoy the entertainment.

♪ ♪ [Narrator] It's taken five years of work and more than 1.1 billion euros to get here.

[López-Palanco] If the tremendous effort you put in means that you achieve your objectives, it's not a burden.

What must be terrible-- I can't even imagine it-- is to put in that effort and not reach your goal.

[Narrator] Real Madrid classifies to win what will be its 15th Champions League title.

[González] In their own time, the pyramids were awe-inspiring.

Then cathedrals, and now football stadiums like this one.

We call it The Temple.

[Pérez] Madrid has changed in these ideas, so, let's modernize it all.

Let's make an avant-garde symbol, a grand monument like this one that will have a significant lasting effect, not only on Madrid, but also on Real Madrid.

[Narrator] And so the legend of Real Madrid grows with this dream come true: building a trailblazing stadium, worthy of what many consider to be the best football club in the world.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [cheering]

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪