Allianz Arena

  Allianz paid significant sums for the right to lend its name to the stadium for a duration of 30 years. However, as Allianz wasn't a sponsor of the 2006 World Cup and is not an official UEFA sponsor, the Allianz logo had to be removed during the World Cup and is covered during Champions League games.
    The Allianz Arena replaced Munich’s old Olympiastadion. First plans for a new stadium were made in 1997, and even though the city of Munich initially preferred reconstructing the Olympiastadion, they eventually went ahead with the clubs’ proposal for an entire new stadium.
    The impressive stadium contains 66 000 seats that are distributed along three rings of tiers. It was projected by the Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron after winning an international contest for the development of a new stadium in the Munich area. As the result of a commercial agreement, the stadium was named after Allianz AG, an international finance and insurance company with headquarters in Munich.
    The Swiss architect firm of Herzog & de Meuron then developed the concept of the stadium with a see-through exterior made of ETFE-foil panels, that can be lit from the inside and are self-cleaning. Construction started in the autumn of 2002 and was completed by the end of April 2005.
   The stadium construction began on 21 October 2002 and was officially opened on 30 May 2005. The primary designers are architects Herzog & de Meuron. The stadium is designed so that the main entrance to the stadium would be from an elevated esplanade separated from the parking space consisting of Europe’s biggest underground car park.[7] The roof of the stadium has in-built roller blinds which may be drawn back and forth during games to provide protection from the sun.
-Total concrete used during stadium construction: 120,000 m³
-Total concrete used for the parking garage: 85,000 m³
-Total steel used during stadium construction: 22,000 tonnes
-Total steel used for the parking garage: 14,000 tonnes
    The cost of the construction itself ran to €286 million but financing costs raised that figure to a total of €340 million. In addition, the city and State incurred approximately €210 million for area development and infrastructure improvements.
   The stadium can change into three basic colours: white, blue, and red (and a mixture of these). The stadium contains lights of variable colour that are inserted in the façade. The outside material of the stadium is made of transparent elements. They cover the entire structure (made of reinforced concrete) that supports the tiers from the bottom up to the top where imposing supporting beams hold the roof of the stadium.
   The effect is great! Seen from a distance the stadium looks like a big toy. The stadium reaches a considerable height of 50 meters (164 feet) despite the fact that the lowest ring of tiers and the playing field are situated below earth's surface.
 The Allianz Arena offers guided stadium tours that include the changing rooms, players’ tunnel, sponsor lounge, and press club. The tours last about 60 minutes.