Reconstruct or build from scratch? Fröttmaning or Riem? Lengthy debates preceded the rise of the Allianz Arena in the north of Munich. On the occasion of the ten-year milestone fcbayern.de summarises the origin and development of the Arena to this day in 25 steps:
March 1997: The Reds do well on the field of play. Giovanni Trapattoni’s team are about to wrap up the championship title, but the fans demand a new, dedicated football stadium. “Watching football should be fun and a great experience for everyone,” says Bayern president Franz Beckenbauer. An entirely new construction project is out of question for the city of Munich at this stage, as the municipal authorities prefer a comprehensive rebuild of the Olympic stadium.September 1997: The FC Bayern executive committee votes to build a new stadium for its team.
Some 500 million German marks are to be invested. However, the city sticks to the idea of reconstructing the Olympic stadium.January 2001: FC Bayern and TSV 1860 form a coalition to construct a new stadium. A capacity of 66,000 and state of the art architecture are to attract spectators to the stadium. But the city of Munich has to find a suitable location first. July 2001: Riem, Freiham, Fröttmaning, the Olympic Park or the university premises? These five locations are considered. Fröttmaning is chosen. But the citizens of Munich have the last word in a referendum.21 October 2001:
“A new stadium in Fröttmaning – yes or no?” An overwhelming majority of the citizens vote for the construction of the stadium. Nothing now stands in the way of a modern football arena!December 2001: FC Bayern and TSV 1860 each take a 50 percent stake in stadium construction and operating company, München Stadion GmbH. 8 February 2002: The architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron are awarded the contract for the construction of the arena. Models submitted by eight planning consortia make the shortlist. After a long debate the Swiss architects win with their vision of an illuminated stadium façade. Another decision is made: Allianz AG acquire the naming rights (at first until 30 June 2021), the new Bayern home will be called Allianz Arena.
