Why Barcelona are studying Valencia’s Nou Mestalla ahead of huge Camp Nou roof installation

Barcelona have sent representatives to Valencia's Nou Mestalla construction site to examine the engineering techniques being used to install its vast stadium roof.

The visit could provide valuable lessons ahead of Camp Nou's own ambitious roof installation, one of the most technically demanding stages of the redevelopment.

Barcelona take visit to Nou Mestalla construction site

According to reports in Spain, representatives from Barcelona and construction company Limak visited Nou Mestalla in September to study how workers are assembling and lifting the complex steel cable structure that will support Valencia's new stadium roof.

The delegation also examined construction methods used by Spanish contractor FCC Construccion, with Barcelona seeking practical insights that could help manage the challenges facing its own project.

Nou Mestalla's roof is expected to use approximately 4,800 tonnes of steel, with its design revised to reduce the overall weight by around 4,500 tonnes compared with an earlier version.

However, Barcelona's roof will be larger still, covering approximately 48,000 square metres compared with around 41,000 square metres at Nou Mestalla.

Both designs use a system of interconnected rings and radial cables to support extensive roof structures without requiring large supports that obstruct views from the stands. The critical challenge is assembling and tensioning the components before lifting the structure into its final position.

At Camp Nou, this operation is known as the ‘Big Lift'. The assembled roof structure must be raised in a carefully coordinated process before the final covering can be installed.

The works are expected to affect Barcelona's stadium schedule, with the club planning to play at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys during the first part of the 2027-28 season before returning to Camp Nou in January 2028.

The full redevelopment is expected to continue into the 2028-29 campaign.

FGG says: Nou Mestalla could provide Barcelona with crucial lessons

Barcelona's visit highlights how stadium redevelopment projects can benefit from sharing practical engineering knowledge, particularly when contractors face structures of this scale and complexity.

Although Nou Mestalla's roof is smaller, the experience of assembling and lifting its cable system could help Barcelona identify potential challenges before undertaking an even larger operation.

The stakes are considerable, as delays during the Big Lift could affect both the wider construction programme and Barcelona's planned return to Camp Nou.