event_arena_munich
Photo Credit: Populous

Plans for a new 20,000 capacity multi-use climate-neutral event arena in Munich have been given the go-ahead by the local council. Populous, a globally-renowned architecture firm, has been chosen as the architect for a new multi-use, climate-neutral, event arena.

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.

event_arena_munich
Photo Credit: Populous

The seating is arranged in a horseshoe shape (270 degrees), clearly placing the focus on the multifunctional stage. The combination of steeply raked seating, state-of-the-art technology and the expertise of acoustic specialists who have worked on opera houses and symphony halls will result in world-class experiences at concerts and live events.

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.

event_arena_munich
Photo Credit: Populous

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.

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