a+t architecture publishers

The Allianz Arena stadium replaced the Olympic Stadium (see post Frei Otto, Günther Behnish. Olympic Stadium. Munich) as home of local teams' football matches.

In its favour it has the fully-covered seating, a host of commercial spaces underneath the stands, comparable to that of a shopping mall (event rooms, souvenir shops, restaurants, club offices, several food and refreshment kiosks, etc) four 4-storey carparks and an image which can be recognized from the motorway. The seating capacity is slightly less, 66,000  compared to 69,000. Against it, it is completely isolated from its surroundings, having the character of an impregnable fort and some carelessly designed indoor and intermediary spaces.  The reason, according to the authors (see El Croquis 129/30 p276), is that all these areas are subject to the changes which the users will induce.

The emphasis is placed on the shell, previously tested out with less means on the St Jakob Stadium of Basel, and in the form of a crater, itself setting a precedent for the  Olympic stadium of Beijing 2008.

Photos taken by a+t.

Herzog & de Meuron
Allianz Arena
Werner-Heisenberg-Allee 25
Munich  2005

Main access

The parking area with the balloon-shaped markers seen from the turnstiles

The shell is composed of diamond-shaped cushions made from transparent membrane

Interior of the access galleries with natural light

Close-up of the interior shell with the lighting system. The surroundings are visible through the printed EFTE membrane

Three colour lighting units designed to be digitally controlled, fixed to the steel structure supporting the cushions

The shell is made up of 2,800 air cushions. Each form is repeated only once, meaning 1,400 different cushions were designed

Joins between cushions, with the joint regulation system designed to control the effects of temperature fluctuations

The cushions on the facade are made up of membrane panels of printed EFTE (ethylene-co-tetrafluoroethylene) with varying back-lighting

Aspect of the access stairs to the stands

Walkways or ‘promenades’

Kiosks for sales and other uses

On the roof, the transparent membrane cushions are not visible from the interior, due to the system of light reduction, based on awnings