Native of Mexico, Populous Senior Architect David Lizarraga Designs Estadio BBVA Bancomer

Monterrey, Mexico – The man behind the design of the newest and most advanced soccer stadium in Mexico has close ties to the team, city and country where he’s working. David Lizarraga, Senior Architect and Senior Associate at Populous, the firm responsible for the design of Estadio BBVA Bancomer, is a native of Mexico and former resident of Monterrey. He calls the opening of the state-of-the-art venue “the most rewarding moment of my career.”

Estadio BBVA Bancomer, home of C.F. Monterrey, will open August 2^nd. The opening of the US $200 million stadium will be celebrated as the most hospitality-driven stadium in the region.

Lizarraga continues, “To see the entire world turn their focus to a city that means so much to me has been remarkable. I think visitors and residents alike will see the beauty in the design and understand the city’s heritage, and ultimately, what this means for Monterrey and its future.”

“Much like Chicago or New York, Monterrey is a cosmopolitan city with a rich history. It’s a place where business and culture intersect to create a really vibrant place. However, the city has always been in need of a more sophisticated and hospitality-driven sports experience, and to have a hand in challenging the status quo and bringing a world-class building to a place I love, is something I’m truly excited about.”

David Lizarraga’s experience includes more than 20 years designing sports facilities. He also previously worked in Canada and Mexico and was involved in the design of the tallest building in Latin America – Torre Mayor.  Since joining Populous, Lizarraga has been involved with the design of premier sports facilities across the globe, including ballparks for Major League Baseball like Marlins Park in Miami, Florida; Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Yankee Stadium in New York City; Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri; Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, Ohio, among others. He’s also designed stadiums for the National Football League and Minor League Baseball – like the recently opened Southwest University Park in El Paso, Texas.

Originally from northwest Mexico, a city called Culiacan, he grew up with an interest in architecture.

“My father is an architect and some of my earliest memories include visiting construction sites. I even recall my dad creating piñatas that were replicas of famous buildings – the Sears tower, Wright’s Guggenheim in NYC and others – for each of my birthday parties as a young boy. He instilled in me that interest in the built environment … an interest which eventually led me to Monterrey to attend college at Instituto Tecnologico de Monterrey.”

Once in Monterrey, Lizarraga pursued an architecture degree and quickly became a fan of Rayados, attending games with his friends. Later in college, he met his wife, a native of Monterrey.

“Monterrey has very much been a second home to me. My in-laws live there, my children have visited often and I have special memories and moments in the city,” said Lizarraga. “This project has allowed me to share my passion – architecture – with a community, while allowing me the opportunity to share the stories, the energy and the enthusiasm around the stadium and soccer in Latin America, here in the United States.”

Populous and Lizarraga have designed a number of projects in Latin and South America, including Arena das Dunas, which hosted a number of matches during the 2014 World Cup, Estadio Omnilife, home of Chivas, and its current work on the new ballpark for Los Diablos Rojos del Mexico.  Populous is a global leader in designing environments that draw people together, from stadiums to convention centers; airports to mixed-use developments. The firm has designed more than 2,000 projects worth $30 billion.

To learn more about David Lizarraga and Populous, visit www.populous.com. For details on the opening  of Estadio BBVA Bancomer, visit http://www.estadiobbvabancomer.com/ .

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About Populous

At Populous, we design the places where people love to be together. In the world’s top cities and on more than 120 university campuses we have designed more than 2,000 projects worth $30 billion. Our designs for places like Yankee Stadium, the London Olympic Games, the Los Angeles Convention Center and Arena das Dunas have created emotional connections between people and the civic sports and entertainment places and events they love best. The top communities entrust Populous to help build their brands through design.

Our unrivaled knowledge – both visionary and technical – is unveiled through comprehensive planning and design services with experiential design at the core. Our focus includes not just the individual buildings that define a community, such as sports architecture, conference and exhibition center architecture or aviation design, but also the urban fabric that weaves these buildings together.  We offer architecture, interior design, environmental graphics and wayfinding, event planning and overlay, master planning urban planning and sustainable design consulting from offices on four continents, with primary locations in San Francisco, Denver, Kansas City, Boston, London and Brisbane. We have been recognized 200 times over with global design awards, including three national American Institute of Architects awards. We also have been listed three times over as one of Fast Company magazine’s most innovative companies. Every community has a story to tell – it is our mission to give life to those stories through design. We are the people who create the places where communities unite. We are Populous. 

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