External Reference Transforms a Hospitality Venue into a Cultural Destination

This week’s instalment of the Project of the Week series features an immersive hospitality design by 2025 SBID Awards Finalist, External Reference.

Plaza Mahou is a 1,100 m² experiential space inside Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, designed by External Reference for Mahou San Miguel. Combining a working microbrewery, bar, and terrace, the project connects beer, football, and Madrid’s social culture through the concept of the plaza. The design blends digital innovation, artisanal craft, and sustainable materials to create an immersive and functional environment. Featuring 3D-printed textures, recycled keg furniture, and hand-painted ceramics, Plaza Mahou transforms a hospitality venue into a cultural destination that celebrates identity, community, and experience.

What was the client’s brief?

The brief was to celebrate the bond between beer and football through Mahou’s century-long partnership with Real Madrid, both rooted in Madrid. The project had to unite Mahou’s brewing culture with the club’s legacy at the Santiago Bernabéu, reflecting shared values of commitment, excellence, passion, and the spirit of Madrid as a city of encounters.

What inspired the design of the project?

Plaza Mahou was inspired by the ambition to transform space into an immersive narrative that unites the brand’s three universes: beer, the city, and football. This vision takes shape through the archetype of the Madrid plaza, a timeless place of gathering and conviviality.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

The toughest challenge was turning those ideas into tangible elements, reinterpreting them in a way that conveyed the essence of beer, the city, and football.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

The most meaningful moment came when each element took shape within the real space, and the environment itself transformed into the living expression of a plaza.

Why did you enter the SBID Awards?

We entered the SBID Awards because it represents a benchmark of excellence in interior and experiential design. Your platform recognizes projects that go beyond aesthetics to deliver meaning and innovation. For us, it is a clear opportunity to share how design can translate culture, identity, and shared values into a space that people can experience, remember, and enjoy.

What has being an Award Finalist meant to you and your business?

Being an Award Finalist has validated our approach of merging storytelling with design to create immersive environments. It has strengthened our visibility within the international design community and confirmed the relevance of our work in shaping how brands and audiences connect through space. And of course, it feels like a great honour for our whole team.

Questions answered by Carmelo Zappulla, CEO of External Reference.