HOK to design fan-focused €192m Valencia arena for billionaire Juan Roig
– John Rhodes
LICAMPA 1617, an enterprise led by Spanish billionaire entrepreneur Juan Roig, has revealed plans to develop a multi-use indoor sports arena in Valencia, Spain.
The company is looking to create the region's premier destination for sports, music, arts, and cultural events and has appointed sports architects HOK to design the arena.
The main tenant of the arena will be Valencia Basket, a professional basketball team – sponsored by Roig – which competes in Spain's Liga ACB and the EuroLeague competition.
The arena is part of plans to grow the profile of Valencia Basket and LICAMPA has also revealed plans to hold National Basketball Association (NBA) events in the future.
As well as the main arena space, which will have an capacity of around 15,000, the fan-focused arena will house training facilities, a basketball museum, a diverse range of hospitality products and a seating bowl designed to create an intimate experience for spectators.
HOK has been tasked with creating a multi-purpose, flexible design which will enable the venue to attract a wide range of events.
The practice will work in partnership with local architecture practice ERRE on the project.
"Although it is early in the process, our vision is to create a sustainable home for Valencia Basket that will become a world-class sports and entertainment destination," said John Rhodes, director of HOK’s Sports + Recreation + Entertainment practice.
"It will be a valuable asset for the local economy, attracting visitors from across the region and creating a wonderful gateway building to the city."
A native of Valencia and a passionate basketball fan, Roig is the president of Mercadona, the Spanish supermarket chain which he built into a multi-billion euro business in the 1980s and 1990s.
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