Etihad Arena
HOK and TAC Arquitectes are designing a new arena for FC Barcelona Lassa, a Euroleague basketball team. The venue will be part of the Espai Barça sports and entertainment district now under development.
The arena’s curvilinear form and organic geometry feature an elegant, metallic facade with transparencies that strategically connect fans to their surroundings. A large exterior projection screen on the underside of the arena’s roof will display live footage of the event underway to fans in the public plaza.
An asymmetrical seating bowl—the first of its kind for a basketball arena—emulates a theater environment. Using custom-made digital tools, the designers calibrated the venue and bowl geometries to achieve optimal sight lines and dimensions. This ensures the best experience for fans and a more cost-effective, efficient building for the club.
To connect the arena to the surrounding district, the design blends indoor and outdoor space. An open-air concourse takes advantage of the mild Mediterranean climate and creates year-round revenue generation opportunities through outdoor patios, public plazas and green spaces.
The design prioritizes sustainability, using passive design strategies to reduce energy and water use while minimizing waste. The site incorporates native plants and materials.
SIZE
12,500 seats