On the western edge of Munich Airport, construction work has begun on a major private-sector event development. By 2029, the developer MUNICH ARENA Property GmbH will construct an extensive live entertainment campus, the centrepiece of which is a concert arena accommodating up to around 20,000 visitors. The total volume of the project amounts to more than EUR 400 million and is being delivered entirely without public subsidies.
Alongside the event venue itself, the site comprises a music hotel, a mobility hub and park-like outdoor facilities. Transport and technical infrastructure access are being progressed in parallel. Lorenz Schmid, Managing Partner of MUNICH ARENA Property GmbH, attended the ground-breaking ceremony in the presence of representatives from politics and business, including Bavaria's Minister President Dr Markus Söder, Head of the State Chancellery Dr Florian Herrmann, Freising's Lord Mayor Monika Schwind, District Administrator Susanne Hoyer, Marek Lieberberg of Live Nation GSA, and Jost Lammers, Chief Executive Officer of Flughafen München GmbH.
Comprehensive overall management and digital planning
Operational project management for the major scheme is handled by Drees & Sommer SE, headquartered in Stuttgart. The consulting firm is responsible for project management, construction management and BIM management from the planning phase through to commissioning. In addition, the team is overseeing transport access measures, technical infrastructure and the targeted DGNB Gold sustainability certification.
According to Stefan Schweitzer, Associate Partner and Project Manager at Drees & Sommer, the various sub-elements such as the arena, accommodation, mobility hub and utility networks must be operational simultaneously. To coordinate the numerous mutual dependencies and prevent interface conflicts at an early stage, architects, specialist engineers and construction contractors are working within a shared digital model using Building Information Modelling (BIM).
Infrastructure and sustainable energy concept
Operating the entertainment district requires utilities on an industrial scale. Peak demand is around 10 megawatts of electrical capacity and roughly 4,000 kilowatts of district heating. Behind the scenes, Drees & Sommer is therefore coordinating connections to electricity, district heating, water, wastewater and fibre optics for the entire site.
- —Several thousand photovoltaic modules across the roofs of the concert arena, hotel and mobility hub
- —Connection to the local district heating network
- —Multimodal transport concept for suburban rail (S-Bahn), regional services, buses, cars, two-wheelers and taxis in coordination with Flughafen München GmbH
- —Targeted certification under the DGNB Gold standard
As Managing Director Lorenz Schmid highlighted, the campus is designed to function as an integrated system and establish international benchmarks. Through the coordinated, on-schedule delivery of all structural and civil engineering trades, the groundwork is now being laid for one of Europe's most modern event venues.
