Barcelona hoops arena will rattle opponents with wall of raucous fans

When compared to European basketball fans, NBA fans can look like they’re at a piano recital.

Arenas in countries like Greece, Turkey, and Israel are packed with folks who stand, chant, cheer, sing, jump, and create chaos during game action, supporting their teams and flaunting their civic pride. 

Fans in Barcelona, Spain, are passionate too, so when HOK and Barcelona’s TAC Arquitectes designed the New Palau Blaugrana arena for FC Barcelona, the firm took into account home court advantage.

The 12,000-seat arena will have a seating bowl that emulates a theater environment, with an asymmetrical design that puts more fans on one side of the court in a tighter, steeper configuration. The design will create a loud and visually-intimidating “wall of people” that will psych-out Barca opponents and give spectators a more engaging gameday experience. Also planned are 24 VIP boxes and four sky bars and lounges.

Courtesy HOK. Click photo to enlarge.

The arena will serve as a hub in a larger development that will have a street festival environment. Fans can watch game footage on a large projection screen on the underside of the arena’s curved roof, and they can enjoy a year-round public outdoor concourse with patios, plazas, green spaces, and concession areas. 

Construction will begin during the 2017-18 season and finish during the 2019-20 season. The construction is tied in with renovations to FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou soccer stadium, located just across the street.