Sener presents “Hypogea”, an innovative, retractable turf system to expand the uses of stadiums

The Sener engineering and technology group has announced the launch of Hypogea, an innovative and fully automatic system that can be used to retract and maintain the natural grass playing field of a stadium. The system, designed and patented by Sener, has a set of mechanisms that position and move the trays that make up the playing field horizontally and vertically, so they can be quickly and safely retracted. It also features a series of systems to maintain the grass (such as irrigation, ventilation, heating, lighting, and drainage).

Hypogea moves the trays that contain the natural grass from their location for sports events, to an underground chamber (the hypogeum), which is outfitted with the groundskeeping facilities and systems needed to keep the lawn in perfect condition for long periods of time. The chamber has been designed to allow access to groundskeeping personnel and materials, regardless of any events that may be taking place at the stadium where Hypogea is installed.

The stadiums of the future: authentic urban centres with multiple non-sporting uses

Most modern stadiums were designed exclusively for sporting events, limiting their possibilities to host other activities. Hypogea allows the space available in sports stadiums to be used without harming the sports experience or the quality of the field, turning them into veritable hubs of activity and gathering sites in cities, exponentially increasing the operational opportunities for these facilities.

With Hypogea, any stadium can be transformed into a multifunctional and versatile space for hosting all types of shows, such as concerts, conventions and fairs, and even other kinds of sporting events different from the main one, from e-sports to nautical events.

César Quevedo, General Manager of Mobility of Sener, notes that “in ancient times, stadiums were true urban centres, with multiple purposes and uses. Today, most of them have been designed exclusively for sporting events, since the perfect conditions required for the playing field limit any other uses. Hypogea combines past and future, restoring the original spirit of stadiums as urban centres, but outfitting them with cutting-edge technological capabilities that make it possible for their use to go beyond sport, for the benefit of the public and the managers of the facilities”.

The system was offered to Real Madrid for installation at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, which, once it is upgraded, will be equipped with a retractable lawn system that is currently in the testing phase. Hypogea was also presented in Los Angeles (United States) in September during Coliseum Summit 2023, one of the most important events on the design, construction, and operation of sports facilities around the world.