SAP Garden, a new 11,500-capacity arena in Munich, officially opened its doors on Friday night after Deutsche Eishockey team Red Bull München hosted the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres in an exhibition game.
An open day was also staged for guests on Saturday, and the arena will host its first basketball game on Thursday when Bayern Munich welcomes Real Madrid in the EuroLeague.
The arena took around four and a half years to build, with software company SAP acquiring naming rights back in March 2019. Located southwest of Munich’s Olympiastadion, SAP Garden will serve as the primary home venue for both Red Bull München and Bayern Munich Basketball.
Friday’s game between the Sabres and Red Bull München, which the visitors won 5-0, formed part of the NHL Global Series. The Sabres will head to Prague’s O2 Arena to play two games against the New Jersey Devils later this week, before the Dallas Stars play a double-header against the Florida Panthers at Tampere’s Nokia Arena next month.
Friday’s game attracted a sellout crowd of 10,796. Saturday’s sold-out opening day featured a ‘Flying Art of Movement’ show, which was staged jointly with Red Bull athletes and dance company Flying Steps.
SAP Garden will seek to become a year-round venue. It features a restaurant and a gaming hub, and there are plans for 40 major sports-related events to be held at the arena throughout the year.
The arena has a total floor area of 62,500 square metres, including four ice rinks. The venue also features 11 VIP boxes, shops for official team merchandise, offices and conference rooms, and a parking lot.
SAP Garden has been designed by Copenhagen-based architecture firm 3XN, with engineering work carried out by Buro Happold.
Jan Ammundsen, senior partner at 3XN, said: “We are pleased to be opening the new SAP Garden arena, marking a new era for sport in the city of Munich. The project has been a meaningful opportunity for us to extend the architectural legacy of the Olympic Park, seamlessly fitting a modern sports facility into the existing landscape.
“We have also been inspired by the opportunity to design for community. There is a reason why we go to arenas, why it is so important to be able to go in person: we want to share in and experience a feeling. Our goal with SAP Garden was to make this experience something that is special, something that you cannot have anywhere else.”
Dieter Reiter, Mayor of Munich, added: “It is a dream come true for Munich that we have created a sports centre here in the Olympic Park that fits into the surrounding area. Ten years ago, I had my doubts about how such a building could be accommodated in a protected park. Now I can say: it’s a dream come true. I am thrilled.”
