RAFC (Royal Antwerp Football Club) is a Belgian soccer club that competes in the Jupiler Pro-League (Ligue 1). The club decided to thoroughly renovate its stadium, the Bosuilstadion (built in 1923). The stadium consists of four separate stands, one of which has already been renovated and was put into use at the end of 2017 (this first stand includes: a 5,600-seat grandstand, dressing rooms, a press center, catering facilities, multi-purpose rooms and VIP areas).
| Client | Royal Antwerp Football Club |
|---|---|
| Location | Bosuilstadion, Oude Bosuilbaan, Antwerp, Belgium |
| Period | 2019 - 2021 |
| Architect | Roobust Architecture |
This project includes the complete replacement of stands 2, 3 & 4. In total, the renovation should accommodate 23,000 fans, 7,000 more than in the basic configuration. In order to reduce the inconvenience of the stadium for local residents, the renovation will transform the four existing stands into a bowl-shaped stadium.
The first phase involves the demolition and reconstruction of stand 4. This has 3,518 standing places that can be changed into seats for European Cup matches. Above this stand, designed for ultra-fans, 4,126 seats are planned for families and young people. There are also 28 seats for wheelchair users and their accompaniers (56 people in total).
The facility will also serve as a training center for youth, U21 players and core A players. It includes locker rooms and showers, as well as areas for relaxation and rehabilitation.
The stadium meets the environmental requirements of the City of Antwerp, particularly in terms of mobility: accessibility will be improved to encourage the public to reach the stadium on foot, by bicycle (construction of a bicycle shed with a capacity of 1,600 places) and by public transport.
Tractebel was entrusted with a complete engineering mission covering both stability and special techniques and a feasibility study of alternative energy systems.
