Braga Municipal Stadium — Eduardo Souto de Moura, 2003: photos, plans & sections for a case study

About Braga Municipal Stadium

The Estádio Municipal de Braga (English: Braga Municipal Stadium) is an all-seater football stadium located in Braga, Portugal, and the current home of Sporting Clube de Braga. It has a capacity of 30,286 spectators, making it the seventh largest football stadium in Portugal. The stadium was designed by Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura who was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize in part for this design.

The stadium is situated in an isolated, urban area on the north flank of Monte do Castro, in the sporting park of Dume. The stadium was carved from the Monte do Castro quarry that overlooked Braga; stands were constructed on either side of the pitch, while one of the goal backdrops was carved from the rock walls of the quarry. The opposite goal backdrop is dominated by the city sprawl. Each stand is covered with a canopy-style roof and connected by dozens of steel strings, a design inspired by ancient South American Incan bridges. Movement between stands is accomplished through a 5,000 square metres (54,000 sq ft) plaza under the pitch. It is regularly listed as one of the finest stadiums in world football.

Shortened from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.