BCMF: Estádio Mineirão

The stadium was built in 1963–1965 to designs by Eduardo Mendes Guimarães Júnior and Caspar Garetto and is protected as a building of historic interest.

It is home to Atlético Mineiro, a club in the top tier of the Brazilian football league, and Cruzeiro Esporte Clube.

The architects von Gerkan, Marg and Partners (gmp), together with Gustavo Penna Arquiteto e Associados and structural engineers Schlaich Bergermann und Partner, have developed the concept for the modernization and upgrade of the stadium considering Brazil 2014.

Gustavo Penna was responsible for the design of the surrounding base buildings while gmp took charge of the actual stadium. The initial project was reviewed and created by BCMF.

The additions reflect state-of-the-art technology and are inserted into the building as stand-alone elements thus underscoring the expressive character of the existing concrete structure. The lower tier with standing spaces was replaced in order to increase the stadium’s capacity to approx. 70,000 seats. The new lower tier partly extends to beneath the historic upper tier and provides spectators with ideal views of, and the best possible proximity to, the pitch. This tier also includes the newly designed functional areas in full compliance with FIFA standards. The historic upper tier was overhauled; two box levels within the main grandstand on the western side offer sufficient space for VIPs and hospitality guests.

In order to provide shelter from the rain and screening against solar radiation, the design includes an addition to the existing fair-faced concrete roof with a light-weight roof over the stands. Originally intended as an ultra-light ring cable construction suspended under the existing roof, the extended roof selected during the detailed design stage consists of a simplified cantilever construction with a membrane cover.

Estádio Mineirão (Estádio Governador Magalhães Pinto), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Program: stadium renovation
Executive Project (2010-2012): BCMF Arquitetos (Bruno Campos, Marcelo Fontes, Silvio Todeschi)
Concept (2008): gmp Architekten (Volkwin Marg and Hubert Nienhoff with Martin Glass)
Project management: Martin Glass, Lena Brögger, Maike Carlsen
Project management, Brazil: Robert Hormes
Director of gmp do Brazil: Ralf Amann
Team members: Sophie-Charlotte Altrock, Martina Maurer- Brusius, Silke Flaßnöcker, Ruthie Gould, Claudio Aceituno Husch, Juliana Kleba-Rizental, Jochen Köhn, Martin Krebes, Helge Lezius, Veit Lieneweg, Lucia Martinez Rodriguez, Tobias Mäscher, Adel Motamedi, Dirk Peissl, Lisa Pfisterer, Ivanka Perkovic, Camila Preve, Florian Schwarthoff, Katerine Witte
In cooperation with: Schlaich Bergermann and partners; Gustavo Penna Arquiteto e Associados; Engserj
Structural design of roof: schlaich bergermann and partners – Knut Göppert with Knut Stockhusen and Miriam Sayeg
Team members: Birgit Dephoff, Uli Dillmann, Stefan Dziewas, Frauke Fluhr, Hansmartin Fritz, Sebastian Grotz, Roman Kemmler, Bernd Ruhnke, Tilman Schober, Augusto Tiezzi
Structural design of stadium bowl: Engserj
Services engineering (concept and detailed design): b.i.g. Bechtold Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH; Lumens; STE
Landscaping and podium (concept and detailed design): Gustavo Penna Arquiteto e Associados
Completion: 2012