The Renovated Home of the Cruzados
Promoting sustainability in any field is one of the issues we most want to advance worldwide. Today, it’s time to talk about sustainability in sports.
The San Carlos de Apoquindo sports complex, home of the Cruzados football club and where hundreds of sporting events have taken place, has been undergoing renovations since last August. The reconstruction process will allow the stadium to accommodate a total of 20,000 attendees, with specialized areas for the practice of more sports, along with several businesses and stores that will make the new stadium more hospitable.
The remodeled stadium is expected to be an architectural landmark for the Las Condes district. Thanks to the alliance between Cruzados and CMPC, it will be one of the most modern and innovative sustainable sports complexes in Chile and Latin America.
The football club will return home in mid-2024 to admire the finished work. First, the facade of the stadium will be created, with 30% wood, followed by the incorporation of the roof, supported by solid wood structural beams. In total, the stadium will use more than 1,600 m3 of Glulam, which, in addition to being a renewable product, is estimated to capture about 1,500 tons of CO2 and will facilitate the thermal efficiency of the new stadium.
During the groundbreaking ceremony, CMPC’s president, Luis Felipe Gazitúa, took the opportunity to refer to the stadium’s sustainable model, “We’re all aware of the climate crisis facing our world. The largest nations have set decarbonization as a priority, and timber is a key element for this goal. Not only is it non-polluting and consumes less energy than other materials, it also captures CO2 throughout its life cycle. Thanks to the joint work of CMPC and Cruzados, this project is putting the new San Carlos de Apoquindo area at the forefront of Latin America. It is following in the footsteps of other countries that also understand that the construction of the future will be done with timber in a central role.”
Among other renovations, the stadium’s lighting towers will be replaced with LEDs, all the service areas will be renovated, a 5-story multipurpose building will be built, and the landscaping of the stadium will feature nearly 3,200 native trees.
The star material of the project is Glulam (Glued Laminated Timber), manufactured with timber from forests which are sustainably managed by CMPC. Glulam is carbon negative, provides strength and stability, and is very versatile in its use.
We look forward to seeing the final result of the new San Carlos de Apoquindo Stadium, which will be the fifth version of the Cruzados’ home. And how about you? What do you expect it to be like? Let us know on our social media!
