Plans for a new 20,000-capacity arena in Munich have moved forward after Freising City Council’s building committee passed a resolution for the next phase of development work.
During a council meeting last week, Populous presented updated plans for the facility.
Populous was chosen as the architect for the arena in April 2022, when plans for the project were approved in principle by Freising City Council. Bavaria-based SWMunich has been selected to build and operate the arena, which will be funded by more than €300m (£253m/$327m) of private-sector investment.
The team behind the Munich Arena has hailed the council’s latest approval as a “significant milestone” for the project, which can now progress to the next phase of the development plan process.
Munich Arena will host concerts, live entertainment and other events. Located close to Munich International Airport, the arena has been designed to pay homage to the lozenge shape used in the Bavarian state flag.
When the project was first announced, the facility was pitched as the first climate-neutral events arena in Germany. The project is no longer solely focused on CO2 neutrality and is instead taking a more comprehensive approach to its sustainability efforts by incorporating governance and social practices.
The project team is now pursuing a DGNB (German Sustainable Building Council) certification, with the aim of becoming the first concert arena of its size in Germany to secure a DGNB Gold designation.
The seating of the arena will be arranged in a 270-degree horseshoe shape to place a focus on the stage. Professional services firm Deloitte has estimated that a gross value of around €390m will be added to the local area during the construction phase. After the opening, the arena is slated to bring in a further €353m to the region every year.
Lorenz Schmid, managing director of SWMunich and managing partner at Munich Arena, said: “With the Munich Arena, we want to create a place that the entire region can be proud of – a cultural, architectural and economic flagship. Together with the city, the political bodies and the local people, we are creating a home for the great moments of live music – a stage for unforgettable experiences and the power of music.”
A public consultation phase is set to begin at the end of the month.
