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Resetting the Bar
for LatinVenue Design
With its 324 suites and a design representative of its community in
Monterrey, Mexico, the new, hospitality-driven Estadio BBVA Bancomer
dramatically changes the landscape for stadia in Latin America.
By Max Snyder, ALSD
QUICK HITS
EstadioBBVABancomer’s
designfeaturesagill-like,
metallicexteriorcladin
aluminumwithanasymmetric
shapemeanttomimicthe
silhouetteofabrewingstill.
Thestadiumsetsarecord
forpremiuminventory,holding
324suitesand4,500clubseats.
Foodofferingsare
incorporatedintogourmet
mealsintheclublounges,and
beverageshaveaninternational
influence.
Muchofthestadium’s
successisduetoMonterrey’s
success,acitythathasgrown
overthepast20yearsasa
manufacturingandbrewing
power,aswellasagateway
fortrade.
O
n August 2nd, C.F. Monterrey fans received
their first taste of the $200 million Estadio
BBVA Bancomer.The hospitality-driven sta-
dium, which bares a design that pays respect
to the city of Monterrey, Mexico, is a first of its kind for
the region, setting a new precedent for athletic venues in
Latin America.
“The principle of the design, from the club, was to give
the fans a stadium that was consistent with the same level
of passion the fans have and also something that was wor-
thy of the city of Monterrey,” says David Lizarraga, lead
architect of the project from Populous, the Kansas City-
based architecture firm.
The C.F. Monterrey Rayados’ former stadium, Estadio
Tecnológico, was a 65-year-old venue that held just over
36,000 fans. The team’s owner, FEMSA, a multinational
beverage and retail company headquartered in Monter-
rey, wanted to give Rayados fans an experience that was
worthy of their passion for the club.
Estadio BBVA Bancomer appears to accomplish the
team ownership’s goals and more.The advent of this ma-
jestic venue represents innovation that is new to Mexi-
can sports and also a sign of things to come for the entire
Latin American sporting community.
DESIGN OVERVIEW
Inspired by Monterrey’s heritage of brewing and steel
manufacturing, the 51,000-seat stadium is most distin-
guished by its gill-like, metallic exterior, forged from a
steel center that is clad in aluminum.The stadium’s asym-
metrical, sweeping shape is designed to depict the silhou-
ette of a brewing still. The southern side of the stadium
opens up to give fans a truly captivating view of the Cerro
de la Silla mountain, one of the most iconic landmarks in
the Monterrey region.
Since breaking ground in 2011, PMP Consultants, a
Mexican construction management firm, oversaw the de-
velopment of the building in order to bring David Lizar-
raga’s design to fruition. At its bare bones, the stadium
consists primarily of three materials: concrete, steel, and
aluminum.
The building itself is not the only noteworthy inno-
vation. In order to ensure increased sustainability of the
entire site, 3,600 parking spaces sit on a permeable green
surface that allows for cooling of the area as rainfall is re-
turned back to the grounds. The site is also accessible via
Monterrey’s nearby subway station.
THE PREMIUM RUNDOWN
From a hospitality perspective, Estadio BBVA Bancomer
sets an inventory record for the most premium seats in
any soccer venue in the world, holding 324 suites and
4,500 club seats. Premium areas in the stadium focus on
neighborhood-themed seating spaces designed to accom-
modate the more hospitality-driven fan.

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THE SUITES
The stadium has two levels of suites that form a ring shape.
The first level surrounds the entire perimeter of the pitch.
The second spans three sides of the venue – the east,west,
and north.The south side of the second level of suites also
holds a restaurant.
There are three different sizes of suites, containing six,
nine, and 12 seats respectively. Each suite is elegantly fur-
nished with cushioned seats,a drink shelf,an 84-inch HD
TV, a kitchen, and a restroom. As guests set their eyes on
the field, an operable glass door has the ability to divide
the interior of the suite and an outdoor terrace.
Food and beverage offerings are provided by Eurest,
a subsidiary of Compass Group. The food and beverage
options are characterized by gourmet menus and interna-
tional drink options.
The suite levels also contain open-air lounges designed
for guests to socialize and network.The same concept ap-
plies to the premium club lounges for club seat holders.
These lounges sit on the interior of the building, and the
entire space is designed so that spectators can socialize.
According to Lizarraga, suites were sold for prices
ranging from $200,000 to almost $1 million per season,
depending on size and location. In comparison, most
MLS suites fall below $150,000 per season.
Price aside,some of Populous’more recent soccer stadi-
um designs in the United States, such as BBVA Compass
Stadium (Houston Dynamo) and Sporting Park (Sport-
ing KC), can’t compare to the quantity of suite inventory
that Estadio BBVA Bancomer boasts. In order to appro-
priately gauge demand from corporate clients for the new
build’s premium inventory, C.F. Monterrey conducted a
number of feasibility studies. As Populous developed the
Top: Estadio BBVA Bancomer’s aluminum, gill-like façade, which is shaped to
depict the silhouette of a brewing still, is set below the Cerro de la Silla mountain,
a Monterrey landmark.
Bottom: The 51,000-seat stadium is designed as an inviting environment for all
fan demographics.

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design, the team was concurrently researching what the
local market in Monterrey would be open to accepting.
THE CLUBS
There are two club lounges, one on the east side of the
building and the other on the west. Both clubs are cen-
tered at midfield of the pitch, and each holds roughly the
same capacity of 2,250,for a total of 4,500 club seats.Club
seats were sold for as high as $17,000 a piece.
Seating for each club section stretches from the first
row,directly behind the pitch,all the way to the main con-
course.The club on the west side of the stadium contains
an underground lounge just below the concourse. This
specific club features an exclusive dining area and inter-
national bar that are separate from the rest of the lounge.
The clubs also include glass balconies, where children
and their parents can catch a glimpse of their favorite
Rayados players as they exit the tunnel.
PREMIUM SALES
In an astounding display of support for the new stadium,
all 324 suites and 4,500 club suites sold out months prior
to C.F. Monterrey’s home opener in August. According
to Lizarraga, many of these suites were sold on 15-year
terms, demonstrating the extreme demand for this new
level of fan experience in Mexican soccer.
“It’s very impressive. I don’t think I have worked on a
stadium where this has happened,”says Lizarraga,reflect-
ing on the extent of sold-out premium inventory. “The
fans follow the team, and they’re very passionate. They
were eager to be part of the new stadium and the new
suites.”
LATIN AMERICAN STADIUMS
“Most of the Latin American stadiums are dated,” says
Lizarraga. “The stadium where the Rayados used to play
is over 60 years old. Estadio Azteca in Mexico City is
almost 50 years old. Most of the facilities throughout
Latin America were built either for Olympic Games or
for World Cups,and there are newer facilities,particularly
some of the new stadiums in Brazil, that are not specific
to a team.”
In Mexico specifically, stadiums are out of date and
in need of new life. Lizarraga believes that new facilities
consistent with those in the United States, England, and
Germany, are required to revitalize the fan experience in
Mexico.
“The way I see it, [Estadio BBVA Bancomer] is bring-
ing the best of America and the best of Europe into Mex-
ico to completely change how the fans experience a soccer
match,”says Lizarraga.
While the sheer demand for suites is reminiscent of
that in a major U.S. market, the product itself still has its
differences in Latin America.
From the levels of service, it is similar to what you
would see in the United States or Europe. However, the
products themselves are more representative of the local
ESTADIO BBVA BANCOMER
AT A GLANCE
PROJECT COST: US $200 Million
SEATING CAPACITY: 51,000
SQUARE FOOTAGE: 187,000 square meters (2,012,851 square feet)
GROUNDBREAKING: October 2011
OPENED: August 2, 2015
SITE SIZE: 24.5 Hectares (60.5 Acres)
SITE DETAILS: Nearby subway station, linear river walk along the La Silla River, as well as pedestrian
and vehicular bridges. Over one-third of the total site area is green
PARKING: 3,600 parking spaces are on a permeable green surface, making the entire parking lot a
public park, and returning rainfall back to the grounds while cooling the site
MAINVIDEO BOARD:Two HD screens, each 9m x 19m, with a 13mm resolution
TECHNOLOGY: Bose sound system, more than 950 HD 84-inch televisions, fullWi-Fi connectivity for
all spectators, and an advanced closed-circuit camera network
SUITES: 324
CLUB SEATS: 4,500
F&B PARTNER: Eurest
PITCH: Natural grass with automatic irrigation system and artificial turf perimeter service area
ARCHITECT: Populous
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER: PMP

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COMING UP NEXT:
PARKING MADE
EASY THROUGH
TECHNOLOGY
culture and the people of Monterrey. Food and drink of-
ferings are more gourmet-type meals in the club lounges,
and beverages, in particular, have an international influ-
ence.
MONTERREY’S IMPORTANCE TO MEXICO
Not only is Monterrey’s history rich with industry,but the
city is also a fundamental part of the Mexican economy.
The geographic location of Monterrey is strategic because
the city operates in many ways as a trade gate between
Mexico and the United States and Canada. As a result,
it has become oriented around business, which is a must
when looking to sell 324 suites.
“Monterrey is a city that is a thriving city,” Lizarraga
says. “It has grown substantially in the last 20 years in a
very positive way, and I would not hesitate in saying that
Monterrey is one very good example of how most Latin
American cities should do business,should approach their
urban growth, and also their economic growth.”
NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL
The premium customer may have similar buying behavior
in Latin America, but in-game interactions consist of a
much greater appreciation for the game.
“For soccer, it is more customary for the spectators to
be almost glued to their seats while the game is happen-
ing,” points out Lizarraga. “But there are areas for people
to network.”
He continues,“I think the benefit for the corporate cli-
ents is being able to give their clients a unique experience
that doesn’t exist in Monterrey, that doesn’t exist in this
region of Mexico or the entire country.”
Initial responses to the experience of Estadio BBVA
Bancomer have been extremely positive. Lizarraga says
that he is quite satisfied with the reaction from the fans
now that the building is open.
“Since day one of the design process, we were always
told by the client, by C.F. Monterrey, that the fans were
the priority,” recalls Lizarraga. “And everything we did
design-wise was aimed at the fans,at giving them the best
soccer experience possible. And now that I’m seeing and
reading feedback from the families, from children, from
all the fans, all of the feedback is very positive, and that is
very satisfying to me.”
A STADIUM FOR EVERYONE
In the past, the Mexican soccer venue and experience has
been primarily catered towards a younger, male audience,
restricting the reach of teams and discouraging a wide
range of prospective fans from attending matches.Estadio
BBVA Bancomer’s design welcomes everyone in the com-
munity, from children, to grandparents, to boyfriends and
girlfriends.This inclusive experience allows C.F. Monter-
rey to be more sustainable as a business enterprise and to
further reset the bar for fan experience in Mexico.
By utilizing the natural beauty and rich history of
Monterrey, Estadio BBVA Bancomer has become an
authentic destination to watch a game while redefining
venue design in Mexico and transforming the entire re-
gion’s expectations.
“That’s my greatest hope,”reveals Lizarraga.“That [Es-
tadio BBVA Bancomer] becomes the example to follow
for other teams.”#
WillEstadioBBVABancomerbeagamechangerforLatinAmerica?
WritetoMaxatmax@alsd.com.
In with the New: Estadio BBVA
Bancomer replaced an outdated,
65-year-old stadium with one
having modern amenities,
including 4,500 club seats.
“The way I see it, [Estadio BBVA Bancomer] is
bringing the best of America and the best of
Europe into Mexico to completely change how the
fans experience a soccer match.”
– David Lizarraga, Populous