Egis has announced the acquisition of Fenwick Iribarren Architects (FIA), an architecture practice founded by architects Mark Fenwick and Javier Iribarren. The acquisition is said to strengthen Egis’ position and ambition in the sports and entertainment sector through consulting and design for major future global sporting events.
FIA is a Madrid-based design practice founded in 1990, specialising in the design, rehabilitation, and consultancy of sports and events architecture. FIA’s record through their innovative approach to low-carbon design and fabrication of stadiums has made it a reference designer for UEFA (Union of European Football Associations), said a statement from Egis.
Egis has experience in sports infrastructure and event management throughout the world. The company supported the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 by integrating ICT, facility management, and security, across eight stadiums, as well as managing the carbon emissions and real-time consumption of water and electricity. Spearheading the event’s operations ensured seamless stadium operations and a commitment to sustainability. Egis has also provided more than 1,000,000 seats in sports facilities, such as the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille (France) or the Paul Biya Sports Complex in Olembe (Cameroon), it added.
The acquisition will not only allow Egis to expand its portfolio of services and offer its clients comprehensive solutions in the sports sector, but will also strengthen our presence in the Middle East and worldwide by creating synergies with the competences of Egis Group and the Egis Architecture line, the statement outlined.
“Joining the Egis Group and Egis’ Architecture Line is a great opportunity to take our company to the next level and to develop the potential of our teams in synergy with the technical capabilities of Egis and its architectural firms, particularly in the world of sport with a sustainable approach: a shared vision of both companies,” said Mark Fenwick and Javier Iribarren, FIA Senior Partners.
“We are delighted to welcome FIA to Egis’ Architecture Line. Their extraordinary talent, innovative mindset and commitment to excellence and sustainability align perfectly with our goals. We look forward to working with FIA to deliver inspiring, state-of-the-art sports facilities across the world which enhance the athlete and fan experience,” said Thomas Salvant, Director of Energy & Sustainable Cities at Egis.
FIA is one of the world’s top stadium design firms, with more than 40 awards to its name. They designed and built three of the eight stadiums for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. With more than 20 years of experience in sports architecture, their expertise led to the creation of the most innovative stadium ever built for a World Cup – the first demountable structure, made of reusable transport containers, Stadium 974, and the first cooling system in an open-air stadium, Education City Stadium, the statement concluded.