Two jobs in three decades. Mexican businessman Alejandro Soberon CurrieCEO of the Mexican promotion company OCESA, asked the architect Pepe Moyao to build a space in a simple soccer field on the east side of Mexico City to host a show for British legend Paul McCartney in 1993, which later became the iconic Foro Sol. Thirty years later, Moyao undertook the remodeling of the same venue to transform it into the new Estadio GNP Seguros.
“Wouldn't you like to see a permanent building here? Why don't you? If it happens, I'll pay for it!” Moyao remembers Soberón saying when he invited him to create the original project.
Interestingly, it wasn't the ex-Beatle who finally opened the stadium in 1993, but Madonna, who at the time was touring with The Girlie Show to promote her album. Erotic. Four years later, in 1997, it was named Foro Sol and its inauguration under that name was celebrated with a concert by rock icon David Bowie. Since then, a myriad of international stars have performed at this place.
But Moyao, who at the time was in his 30s and a decade earlier had won a youth architecture competition organized by UNESCO, not only built the most important music forum in Mexico, but also a place to host events beyond from concerts.
“From the beginning I thought it could fit a baseball field, which could also host a racetrack, so I thought of creating a multi-functional building, where the stage changes, is removed, moved,” explains the architect. “For six years, this place has been considered the best F1 circuit in the world.”
This year, after a six-month renovation, the famous Estadio GNP Seguros opened its doors with three concerts by American pop star Bruno Mars, held last month on August 8, 10 and 11, with 65,000 people attending each night, according to OCESA.
After that, a host of international stars such as Metallica, Paul McCartney, The Killers, Eric Clapton, Twenty One Pilots and Iron Maiden, as well as Latin stars such as Feid and Natanael Cano, will perform at the stadium in the coming weeks and months. . (For a list of this year's scheduled concerts in Mexico, click here).
Below, five things you need to know about Estadio GNP Seguros, they told you Billboard Español by its creator, architect Pepe Moyao.
1. Multifunctional space
From its inception, when it was called Foro Sol, the venue was designed as a multi-functional building that could be adapted to the needs of the event, be it a mega rock concert or the home of F1 in Mexico.
“It is a multifunctional building where the stage changes, is removed, moved. It has been recognized six times as the best F1 track in the world and is the only track where 30,000 people can watch the award ceremony from the front, without it being in the pits like in other countries,” says Moyao. “After F1 is over, you can change it and create a concert, it has this versatility. It's a unique place in the world, a stadium designed solely for fun.”
2. Rainwater reuse
With a capacity of up to 65,000 spectators, the stadium offers new benefits for greater fan comfort and services, including a new 13,800 square meter (148,500 sq ft) roof for sun protection and rainwater storage for subsequent reuse.
“The site had an extension of over 33,000 square meters of additional construction. From the top of the pavilions, we have a roof of over 13,000 square meters that will collect rainwater and whatever is captured will go into a cistern that will feed the bathrooms, be used for washing and watering the planters so that we can reuse the water,” explains the architect.
3. Greater comfort for the viewer
The renovated venue includes more comfortable seating for the public, as well as new and improved areas for the general public and companies.
“Previously, people sitting in the stands had to descend about 9.5 meters to get to the bathrooms. Today, you go down 3 meters,” Moyao points out. “Let's just say it's all about making people more comfortable.”
4. State-of-the-art technology
More than 280 state-of-the-art screens were installed in the venue to improve the visualization of the performances and provide more timely information to the attendees. This is in addition to the interior and perimeter lighting of the stadium for greater visibility and safety.
“All the installations, electrical and plumbing, are state-of-the-art, none of the old ones have been preserved. There are LED lamps and low-power equipment,” said the architect.
5. 177 Days Construction & More Numbers
Although the Estadio GNP Seguros renovation project took about two years, the renovation took 177 actual days. Furthermore, Moyao points out that over 710,000 man-hours went into this. the work of about 1,000 people. 15 companies are working simultaneously. During this time, 24,436 cannon type seats were installed.
