Stadionul Rapid-Giulești – stadium description
How did the new Rapid Bucharest stadium
get built?
The contract for the construction of Rapid Bucharest's 7️⃣ new stadium was
signed on November 1, 2024. The main contractor was a consortium of three companies,
Construcții Erbașu, Concelex 7️⃣ and Terra Gaz Construct. The project was carried out under
the design and build formula. The investment was managed by 7️⃣ Compania Națională de
Investiții (CNI) on behalf of the Ministry of Development, Public Works and
Administration. The architectural design was 7️⃣ the responsibility of Construcţii Erbaşu
SA and Popp & Asociaţii SRL, in cooperation with other parties.
The value of the
contract 7️⃣ was more than 98.3 million lei (this amount increased to more than 185.3
million lei at the end). The investment 7️⃣ was financed by government funds, as part of
the improvement of the infrastructure of the leading football venues in the 7️⃣ capital
(the same programme also funded the construction of the new Steaua stadium and the
Arcul de Triumf stadium). The 7️⃣ venue was due to reach functionality in May 2024, so that
it could become one of the training facilities during 7️⃣ Euro 2024.
How did the
construction of Rapid Bucharest's new stadium proceed?
The facility was to replace
Rapid's previous stadium, the outdated 7️⃣ Stadionul Giuleşti-Valentin Stănescu, which
opened in 1939. In January 2024, demolition of the old stadium began and construction
of the 7️⃣ new arena began in its place. Development suffered a significant delay and the
venue was not ready for Euro 2024, 7️⃣ even though the event was postponed by a year due to
the COVID-19 pandemic.
What was the name given to Rapid 7️⃣ Bucharest's new
stadium?
Initially, the new venue was to be called Rapid Arena. However, in 2024 it was
decided to name 7️⃣ it Stadionul Rapid-Giulești, similar to that of its predecessor,
although already without Valentin Stănescu as patron. The member Giulești refers 7️⃣ to the
name of the district where the stadium is located.
When was the new Stadionul
Rapid-Giulești opened?
The official inauguration of 7️⃣ the stadium took place on March 26,
2024. The opening ceremony included a match between legends and a laser show, 7️⃣ and the
highlight of the evening was Rapid's friendly match against Politehnica Timișoara
(1:0). The first league match at the 7️⃣ new facility took place on April 2, 2024 (Rapid -
FC Botoșani 3:0). On May 19, 2024, the final match 7️⃣ of the Romanian Cup was played at
the venue (Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe - FC Voluntari 2:1), and in June 2024, 7️⃣ the first two
matches at Rapid's new stadium, in the League of Nations, were played by the Romanian
national team.
What 7️⃣ are the features of Stadionul Rapid-Giulești?
The stadium has a
football-specific layout, with stands located behind the end lines of the 7️⃣ pitch.
Between the stand behind the north goal and the pitch, there is still a straight,
60-metre long running track 7️⃣ with four tracks. This is a reference to the old stadium,
where the space behind the north goal was also 7️⃣ covered with tartan. The arena's pitch
is equipped with a hybrid turf, drainage and heating system.
The auditorium of the
stadium 7️⃣ is fully covered. The main stand on the west side has VIP boxes and has been
divided into two tiers. 7️⃣ The capacity of the facility is 14,050 spectators. The seats in
the stands are in three maroon shades, a number 7️⃣ of white chairs form the inscriptions
"Rapid", "1923" (the year the club was founded) and the Rapid logo. The upper 7️⃣ sections
are inclined at a slightly steeper angle.
The facility is located on a rather tight
plot of land, bounded on 7️⃣ the west by the street that runs through it, on the east by
the railway tracks, on the north by 7️⃣ the sports hall and on the south by the theatre
building and the indoor swimming pool. The spatial constraints significantly 7️⃣ influenced
the shape of the stadium.
As the railway tracks run very close to the north-east
corner, this angle is clearly 7️⃣ 'truncated'. For symmetry, a similar treatment has been
applied to the south-east corner, although there is still some open space 7️⃣ behind it.
The eastern stand differs considerably in shape from the others and is also noticeably
lower than them. The 7️⃣ division of the main stand into two tiers has enabled some space
to be gained.
The space underneath the auditorium has 7️⃣ been used for numerous purposes,
including eight training areas, a 60-metre indoor track, a small bowling alley and
hotel rooms. 7️⃣ The building also contains offices, changing rooms, toilets, storage
areas, a conference room, catering facilities and space for the club 7️⃣ shop and museum.
With the additional functions, the facility is expected to be used throughout the week,
not just on 7️⃣ match days. The stadium has 184 parking spaces, 164 of which are
underground.
From the outside, the building is covered with 7️⃣ a non-uniform façade. The
building is clad in vertical slats, white and black panels, has lots of windows, and a
7️⃣ prominent, night-lit sign with the name of the stadium has been placed on the exterior
of the main stand. Numerous 7️⃣ concrete pillars rise above the structure, supporting the
roof structure.
The roof is made of trapezoidal sheet metal and finished with 7️⃣ narrow
glazed sections. The canopy is fitted with floodlights; as the covering of the eastern
stand is slightly lower, a 7️⃣ special frame has been fitted there, so that the spotlights
in this section are at the same height as the 7️⃣ others. The floodlights produce a light
intensity of 2000 lux. Under the roof, above the stands behind the goalposts, there 7️⃣ are
two LED screens.
