El Nuevo Sardinero: a stadium open to the city, the sea, and the mountains

Last Tuesday, our Sports & Events team participated in the official presentation of the Campos de Sport de El Sardinero renovation project in Santander. Held at the Botín Center, the event brought together political and sports authorities, Real Racing Club representatives, green-and-white fan club members, the media, and IDOM technical team members.

We developed the project at IDOM under the name El Nuevo Sardinero stadium. It proposes a comprehensive transformation of the stadium and its urban surroundings. This ambitious project aims to transform El Sardinero into an open space that connects with the city, the sea, and the mountains, with a clear focus on social, cultural, and economic revitalization.

The main milestones of the project include:

• The creation of Santander’s largest public square, spanning over 26,000 m².
• The stadium’s capacity will be expanded to 27,000 spectators (currently 22,514).
• New multifunctional spaces will be incorporated, including club offices, a Racing museum, shopping and dining areas, and spaces for events and conferences.
• The stadium will be integrated into the green corridor that connects the Picos de Europa mountains with the Cantabrian Sea and is linked by Las Llamas park.
• The design focuses on sustainability, energy efficiency, and connection with the urban environment.

Our colleague César Azcárate, the Director of Sports & Events, presented the architectural details of the project and highlighted its symbolic and strategic value for the city. “El Sardinero is located between the Picos de Europa mountains and the Cantabrian Sea. The new stadium will be part of the green corridor that connects the mountains, the city, and the sea. It is an open, permeable stadium that will leave a lasting legacy for Santander.“

The project is part of a public-private collaboration model proposed by the club to ensure it does not incur costs for the public administration. Manolo Higuera, president of Racing, and Sebastián Ceria, president of the Real Racing Club Foundation, shared this vision and emphasized the club’s role as a driving force for community roots, identity, and urban.

October 21, 2025