Munich’s Allianz Arena is an Illuminated Urban Monument Designed by Herzog & De Meuron and Arup

Allianz Arena. Munich, Germany.

On May 30. 2005, Allianz Arena opened on the north side of Munich, Germany, timed to host the opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2006. After an initial design competition, in February 2002 it was announced that Herzog and de Meuron had submitted the winning bid, with financial services provider, Allianz, having won the 30-year naming rights. Herzog and de Meuron’s futuristic concept was a joint bid with contractors, Alpine Bau Deutschland GmbH. Architects on the project were Herzog and de Meuron and Arupsport, with Ove Arup and Partners the structural engineers. Allianz Arena is widely known for being the first in the world to have a full color-changing exterior. The skin is a translucent, luminous body of ETFE, diamond-shaped cushions. There are 2,874 ETFE foil air panels in total, which can be lit independently, and are self-cleaning. The panels are kept inflated with dry air to a differential pressure of 0.038 hPa. From afar, the unlit panels appear white, however, up close they are clusters of little dots. The stadium lights up according to whichever home team is playing: Red for FC Bayern Munich, Blue for TSV 1860* and White for the German National Team. Other colors, multi-color and interchanging lighting schemes are possible but the Munich Police have insisted on single-color lighting schemes due to the distractions it could cause on the nearby A9 Autobahn. The lighting system is relatively inexpensive, costing approx 50 Euros/$75 USD an hour. Since the opening of Allianz Arena, other venues have followed with similar lighting concepts, such as the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which lights up Blue for the NFL’s New York Giants, and Green for the NFL’s New York Jets. Allianz Arena emits enough light to allow it to be seen from the Austrian mountaintops on a clear night, or 50 miles/80 km away.

Allianz Arena is the second largest stadium in Germany, behind Westfalenstadion in Dortmund, and has a seating capacity of up to 75,000, depending on which competition is being played. The seating capacity for domestic matches is 75,000, and 70,000 for international matches. Construction began in October 2002 and was completed in 30 months. Due to the tight construction timeline, a “design village” was erected on site for meetings, while all detailed structural engineering was completed in Arup’s UK offices. Arup worked with Herzog and de Meuron, and contractors, Alpine, handling the structural engineering and sports architecture. Arup conducted sightline studies and seating layouts to create a clear, unobstructed, viewing experience. The arena’s structural frame and stands are made form reinforced concrete and the roof is composed of steel latticework. The roof has built-in roller blinds, which can be drawn back and forth during football matches. The arena’s underground car park accommodates 9,800 cars, making it the largest underground car park in Europe, and connects to the elevated esplanade. The 7-level stadium has a cascade of stairs wrapping around the perimeter- just behind the translucent skin. The arena also houses 3 daycare centers, a fan shop, a FC Bayern Munich megastore, 4 team locker rooms, 4 coach’s locker rooms, 2 referee locker rooms, 28 kiosks, 2- 1,000-seatrestaurants, a 400-seat bistro, offices, conference rooms and a FC Bayern Museum. The 3 themes that defined the architectural and urban concept were: the illuminated body, a procession-like arrival of fans and a crater-like interior arena. By following these principles the architects and engineers have created an urban monument for the entire city to enjoy.

*In July 2017 FC Bayern terminated their contract with TSV 1860, making themselves the sole tenants.