By 2029, a modern live entertainment campus, featuring a concert arena for up to around 20,000 fans, will be built at the western edge of Munich Airport. This will include a music hotel, mobility hub, park-like outdoor spaces, and the necessary utility and infrastructure connections. The client, MUNICH ARENA Property GmbH, is investing more than EUR 400 million in the project, which will be financed exclusively by the private sector. The global consulting firm Drees & Sommer SE, which specialises in construction, real estate, and infrastructure, is managing this major undertaking. It is also coordinating the various interfaces and is responsible, among other things, for project management, construction management, and BIM management from planning through to commissioning. In addition, the company is supporting the transport infrastructure measures, utility connections, and the targeted sustainability certification based on DGNB Gold.
So far, Munich Arena has been no more than plans and visualizations. Now it is becoming reality. The groundbreaking ceremony marks the beginning of the construction phase for one of the world's most ambitious private concert arena and event projects. The kick-off event, which was hosted by Lorenz Schmid, Managing Partner of MUNICH ARENA, was attended by numerous representatives from the worlds of politics, business, and culture. Among them were Bavaria's Minister-President Dr. Markus Söder, Bavarian Minister of State and Head of the Bavarian State Chancellery Dr. Florian Herrmann, Mayor of Freising Monika Schwind, and Freising District Administrator Susanne Hoyer. Also in attendance were members of the German federal parliament and the Bavarian state parliament, city councilors and municipal councilors, mayors of the neighboring municipalities, Marek Lieberberg, President of Live Nation GSA, and Jost Lammers, Chairman of the Management Board of Flughafen München GmbH.
"Our objective is clear. We want to make Munich Arena 'Europe's Main Stage for Live Entertainment.' A place that attracts and inspires people from near and far, and a place where concert evenings become memories that last a lifetime," says Lorenz Schmid, Managing Partner of MUNICH ARENA Property GmbH. "So we are investing more than 400 million euro in a site that offers visitors, as well as artists and event organizers, the best conditions for exceptional live entertainment." The Munich Arena Live Entertainment Campus will only be able to go live as planned if each sub-project neatly dovetails with the next. "A modern concert arena can only work as an overall system. The concert arena, the music hotel, the mobility hub, the park-like outdoor spaces, and the infrastructure must be perfectly coordinated and completed both at the same time and on time," Schmid continues.
Keeping track of all interfaces
This is where the global planning, project management, and consulting company Drees & Sommer has a key role to play. It manages the sub-projects for the concert arena, music hotel, mobility hub, and outdoor facilities and is responsible for both construction management and BIM management. It supports the transport infrastructure measures, utility connections, and the targeted DGNB Gold certification.
"The concert arena, music hotel, mobility hub, park-like outdoor spaces, provision of utilities, and transport infrastructure must all be ready to go at the same time. This means considering and coordinating a large number of mutual dependencies," says Stefan Schweitzer, Associate Partner and Project Lead at Drees & Sommer.
Together with his team, the civil engineer is coordinating implementation of this major project. This involves using a digital planning method known as Building Information Modeling (BIM). Architects, specialist planners, and construction companies work together in a shared digital model rather than using numerous individual plans, lists, and file versions. This allows the project stakeholders to coordinate changes across the different planning disciplines in real time. "Thanks to the model, we can see straightaway how a change will affect other aspects of planning. This helps us to avoid any conflicts before they actually arise on the construction site," says Mr. Schweitzer.
The energy behind the entertainment
With up to around 20,000 people expected to attend concerts in future, demand for energy and technical infrastructure will also be high. Around 10 megawatts of electrical power and some 4,000 kilowatts of district heating will be required for operation, levels more typically associated with industry. This means it is particularly important that a high proportion of the energy comes from renewables. Several thousand photovoltaic modules on the roofs of the concert hall, music hotel, and mobility hub are to cover a large part of the electricity demand at the site itself.
The energy concept also incorporates a district heating supply. In addition, the project is aiming for DGNB Gold certification, which Drees & Sommer is supporting. "A project of this scale calls for more than high-performance event equipment. The energy supply must also be able to cope with the required loads and needs to be efficiently managed from the outset," says MUNICH ARENA Managing Director Lorenz Schmid.
Behind the scenes, the infrastructure being created extends far beyond the actual concert arena. Drees & Sommer is coordinating the site’s utility infrastructure and supporting its connection to electricity, district heating, water, wastewater, and fiber-optic networks. The company is also coordinating the technical requirements with the other sub-projects, such as the music hotel and mobility hub. The various supply networks need to function as reliably as the event venue itself.
Bringing the stage within reach
The visitor experience starts before entering the arena. A multimodal transport concept incorporates travel by suburban and regional trains, bus, car, motorcycle, taxi, and bicycle. In coordination with Flughafen München GmbH, the Drees & Sommer team is reviewing the traffic infrastructure measures for the project.
"Munich Arena is extremely well integrated into Munich's public transport network. Visitors can take the S1 and S8 suburban train lines directly to the Besucherpark station at the site. From there, they can reach the concert arena in about 15 minutes on foot," explains Stefan Schweitzer.
The ÜFEX regional train offers connections to Landshut, Regensburg, and Nuremberg. The arena is also connected to the motorway network via the A92, including toward the Neufahrn motorway interchange and Munich-North interchange on the A9/A99. A specially created footpath, a new pedestrian bridge, and the four-lane extension of Freisinger Allee make the site even more accessible. Because the arena shares the parking facilities available at the airport, the client only has to create around a third of the parking spaces required, with two-thirds covered by existing parking facilities at the airport.
A clear identity that starts with the façade
The arena’s façade also reflects its distinctive location. An exoskeleton inspired by the diamond pattern of the Bavarian flag is the defining feature of the 50,000 square meter, seven-story hall. It was designed by the Populous firm of architects from London and planned by the general planning team led by the Munich firm HENN. The skeleton surrounds the hall and, in addition to any future lettering based on naming rights, features a transparent network of LEDs that can run all kinds of content.
Inside, the rows of seats rise steeply and surround the stage in a 270-degree arc (horseshoe shape). This brings the audience even closer to the action. Steel girders support a roof of around 10,000 square meters. More than 200 tonnes of lighting, sound, and stage equipment can be attached to its integrated rigging. With a column-free span of around 100 meters, it forms the structural centerpiece of the arena.
Generous open spaces will be created around the arena. From the neighboring LabCampus, the "Arena Plaza" leads to the event venue via the "Isar Boulevard." Meanwhile, paths through the planned park-like outdoor area known as the "Meadow" lead to the entrances on the upper level. Native plants and trees will create a cooling and pleasant microclimate.
Designed for concerts
Unlike typical multifunctional halls, MUNICH ARENA was designed for concerts and live entertainment from the very outset and has remained true to this philosophy. Besides capacity for up to around 20,000 fans, the concept focuses on easy access, modern production conditions, and infrastructure designed to accommodate international tours. According to a study by Deloitte, once open, Munich Arena will generate gross value added of around 350 million euros annually for the city and region, providing a real boost for hotels, bars and restaurants, retail, and numerous other sectors.
"The Munich Metropolitan Region is one of the strongest concert markets in Europe. If we want to continue to attract the greatest national and international artists and tours to our region in future, we need modern, efficient venues," says Lorenz Schmid. "With Munich Arena, we are creating a concert arena that is tailored, in every way, to the requirements of international live productions. It also further strengthens Munich and Bavaria as a leading center for concerts."