Roig Arena

Roig Arena transforms an underutilized district of Valencia into a destination for sports, culture and civic life. The multipurpose arena serves as the home of Valencia Basket and anchors a new two-hectare park and adjacent development in the city’s Quatre Carreres district. HOK collaborated with ERRE to design the venue, which was developed by Licampa 1617.

The arena and surrounding public realm host concerts, sporting events, public markets and civic celebrations throughout the year—not just on event nights. A pedestrian-priority zone links the arena to the park through stepped terraces, landscaping and flexible community space. A grand staircase and dynamic media display known as “The Eye” define the arrival experience and give the building a strong presence on the street.

Design Solutions

Roig Arena’s architecture responds to Valencia’s climate, material traditions and urban character.

A locally fabricated facade of 8,600 ceramic fins wraps the building’s curved steel structure. The fins shade the open-air concourses and help reduce solar heat gain, which lowers cooling demand. Three shades of blue glaze animate the facade throughout the day, while integrated RGB lighting transforms the arena into a landmark after dark. The lighting system can respond in real time to live inputs, including crowd activity.

The facade also simplified construction and reduced carbon at scale. A full-scale prototype was built to prove construction feasibility. A single modular tile (1 x 1.2 meters) was deployed across the entire envelope, streamlining fabrication and reducing waste.

Inside, our team used HOK’s proprietary parametric design tool, Scrum, to bring spectators as close as possible to the action while maintaining clear sightlines. The arena accommodates up to 15,600 fans for basketball and expands to 20,000 for concerts and major events. Premium clubs, hospitality suites and diverse seating options generate new revenue for the owner.

Flexible support spaces—including a multipurpose hall, meeting rooms and exhibition areas—enable the venue to host conferences, tournaments and community gatherings. A daylit concourse becomes a food and beverage market on non-event days, modeled after Europe’s historic mercados.

The design draws on passive cooling strategies suited to Valencia’s warm climate, photovoltaic panels and locally sourced materials to reduce the arena’s environmental footprint.

Impact

Roig Arena gives Valencia a major new venue for basketball, concerts and civic events while extending activity into the surrounding public realm. By tying the building closely to the park, the street and the everyday life of the district, the project is designed to function as more than an event venue.