Bavaria-based SWMunich Real Estate GmbH will build and operate the space, which will be used for concerts and conventions, among other events.
It will be situated in a new green space next to the LabCampus technology and innovation centre, adjacent to Munich International Airport, to the north of the city itself. It has been backed by over €300M (£250M) of private sector investment.
Drawing upon Bavarian heritage and character
Populous’ winning design was selected after a multi-stage architecture competition for which the jury was chaired by Professor Markus Allmann. It draws upon Bavarian heritage and character to create an eye-catching concept for the new arena, with the support structure skilfully paying homage to the lozenge shape used in the Bavarian state flag. This instantly and clearly associates the arena with the south of Germany and creates a high recognition factor. The arena’s structure means that even from a distance, visitors can see inside the arena and get a taste of the entertainment that awaits them.
The interior design takes into account the ever-increasing demands of artists in terms of technology, stage shows and productions. Countless details are tailored to satisfy the needs of artists, organisers and visitors, and to provide incomparable concert and live experiences.
As there is currently no comparable venue in the metropolitan area of Munich, it will add to the cultural offering of the region, and boost tourism and the local economy. Deloitte, the leading auditing firm, has estimated the gross added value for Freising and the region to be around 285 million euros per year.
The arena (www.muc-cc.com) will also fully meet the requirements of concerts and live entertainment events. SWMUNICH is pursuing a concept that will set new quality benchmarks for external architecture and interior design (acoustics, sightlines, equipment, and hospitality) as well as the important aspects of sustainability, transportation, and the environment.
Climate-neutral thanks to lifecycle-based planning
In a first for Germany, the new event arena will be climate-neutral thanks to lifecycle-based planning to reduce the carbon footprint during construction and climate-positive management of the operating phase. Several thousand solar panels on the roof of the arena and around the site, coupled with the potential for geothermal energy and district heating, will ensure that the energy for operating the arena can be generated and supplied on site.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals provide the framework for the arena’s sustainability and climate strategy, and it will be certified according to an internationally recognised sustainability system, so that achievement of the targets can be objectively evaluated and transparently measured.
Christopher Lee, Managing Director – EMEA, Populous, said: “Our mission at Populous is to design the places where people love to be together. And this is exactly what we are doing with the MUCcc project for Freising, the metropolitan area and all of Bavaria. We will create a world-class venue, which people will enjoy returning to again and again.”
Find out more about Populous, the architecture firm behind Germany’s first climate-neutral event arena, here.