Europa Park Stadium in Freiburg

Location Freiburg, Germany Client Stadion Freiburg Objektträger GmbH & Co.

Operator SC Freiburg Architects HPP Architekten DE – 40221 Düsseldorf www.hpp.com

Author HPP

Photos Klaus Polkowski

PLACE OF PILGRIMAGE

EUROPA PARK STADIUM IN FREIBURG

The Europa Park Stadium is the new home ground with a “cauldron” atmosphere of the Bundesliga football team SC Freiburg. The surrounding promenade is ideal for relaxing and socialising. HPP Architekten has designed a „place of pilgrimage“ for all football fans in a slightly raised position on a modest elevation.

With its coherent and timeless elegance, the building corpus merges into the gentle topography in the west of Freiburg. Due to its immediate proximity to the airport and the resulting height restrictions, its roof geometry is shallow and rectangular. The zigzag of tension rods on the outside gives the stadium its unmistakable character. Two-tier stands The stands are arranged to give spectators an ideal view of the pitch from all positions, and a special atmosphere is created by the cauldron effect. In the south, the promenade principle gives way to the fan wall. This is where the continuous single-tier stand as a kind of „stage for home fans“ forms the atmospheric germ cell for

8,700 standing-room spectators and space for fan culture and choreos. The north-eastern corner is designed as a standing-room section for away fans. The two areas are separated by the eastern seater stands for home fans and by the VIP stands in the main building to the west.

View of the stadium on entry A continuous rain-protected promenade beneath the upper-tier stands offers everyone – whether on foot or seated in a wheelchair – the same quality of stadium experience. Access is via the sector entrances at all four corners of the stadium. A gap between the upper and lower tiers gives fans a view of the stadium interior as soon as they enter the promenade level. The universal visibility of the pitch turns the promenade into a place for the audience to hang out and socialise – before, after and during the match.

The main building is integrated into the stadium geometry and extends over the entire length of the west

side. Combined with the forecourt, it provides a spacious and inviting entrance area with a memorable aspect. Located here on five levels are the main functions, from the changing rooms and training areas in the basement, and the fan shop and museum on the ground floor to the media and business areas, offices and catering areas on the upper floors. The prestigious VIP areas on the upper floors are located in an outwardly projecting structure that forms a covered entrance area and thus identifies the main building. The stadium unites a wide range of event spaces on a single site and caters for such activities as trade fairs, entertainment and sporting events as well as conferences of various kinds. The business, conference and event areas are designed to be used independently.

Access with seamless transitions The five sectors of the arena are accessed from the avenue and the forecourts. Matching the octagonal shape of the stadium‘s interior, the main entrances are located at the

corners. With ground-level entrances on all four sides, they are oriented towards the forecourts and form a seamless transition to the outdoor space.

The fans of the visiting team in the north-east and the home fans in the south-east arrive at the stadium via a long avenue approach. The surrounding promenade serves as a circulation area. Separate entrances are provided in the west stand for VIPs, media representatives, teams, match officials and security services. “Stadium for all“ The stadium‘s high level of comfort in terms of accessibility is also a clear objective of the design on the principle of the „stadium for all“. All stands are accessed via a groundlevel promenade at pedestrian entrance level. A total of 144 seats are available for spectators with special needs (wheelchair users) and 144 for accompanying persons. These are distributed across all sectors and are accessible at ground level. Sanitary facilities for the disabled are located in the immediate vicinity along the promenade.