Inside ‘insane’ £1.5bn Bernabeu renovation from hidden tunnels under stadium to setting FIRE to the old roof
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THE "insane" £1.5billion Bernabeu renovation featured a hidden network of underground tunnels and setting FIRE to the old roof. And the epic project even required a full year-long study of the sun to avoid blinding drivers. Real Madrid spent a fortune updating their iconic stadium, finally completing the work in 2024.
![[The new look Bernabeu is a thing of beauty]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/exterior-completed-santiago-bernabe-stadium-962157073.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Much has been made of the brand-new features such as the 360-degree LED scoreboard screen, the sleek steel facade and the flagship VIP hospitality suite, the SkyBar. The pitch has also been split into six panels which are split up and stored in an underground greenhouse hypogeum, only coming out for matchday, in one of the most advanced pieces of architecture in world football.
![[The complex model is a first for football infrastructure]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/real-madrid-962157059.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Now, though, the reality of the sheer logistical ingenuity and complexity of the Bernabeu facelift has been revealed. A National Geographic documentary - Megastructures: Real Madrid Super Stadium - followed the mammoth project, which was ironically massively helped by the Covid pandemic.
![[The underground greenhouse features six levels]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/interior-view-hypogeum-6-plates-962157097.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
That is because Real Madrid were insistent that they would keep on playing at the Bernabeu for their domestic matches throughout the construction work. As a result, the pitch was out of bounds to protect the playing surface while all the heavy machinery had to be stored away to meet safety regulations with 80,000 fans in attendance - although the cranes made for surreal aerial viewing spots for a lucky few.
![[There was plenty of fire in the operation - from creating the steel facade to burning the old roof]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/metal-used-make-slides-cover-962159549.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
