Soccer Stadium in Torrelavega
The new Malecón Stadium in Torrelavega in northern Spain stands on the site of the former stadium. The brief stipulated that the latter’s playing field and the four floodlight masts that were installed in 2005 must be retained. In addition, the club required 6000 seats and commercial spaces at the main entrance on Boulevard Ronda. Because the budget was tight, prefabrication was essential to the construction. The architects developed a clear configuration made up of four separate sets of stands. The stadium’s corners are occupied by subordinate structures. The two sets of stands along the boulevard and Río Besaya are slightly taller than the two bordering the narrow lengths of the playing field. A clear, rhythmic succession of slender, orthogonal steel frames is the dominant feature on all four sides. Because the frames are only 2.70 metres apart, a person viewing them from an angle sees only these fins; moreover, the black coat of paint reinforces the austere, almost unapproachable look of the exterior. But as when approaching the stadium one sees the concrete panels that enclose the stands and the glazed corridor on the upper level. Vertical sheet-steel elements sheathe the ground-level zone. Excerpts of the club’s theme song are discernible in the playful arrangement of letters of the alphabet (cut out using CNC flame-cutting). At night the facade is backlit, a measure that makes the entrance elevation look lightweight and permeable.
