RB Leipzig welcomed FC Bayern Munich in its “living room”, the recently renovated Red Bull Arena. Since the end of 2018, the home venue of the first division club RasenBallsport Leipzig has been undergoing renovation under the leadership of the Viennese architectural office Albert Wimmer ZT-GmbH to meet the latest technical and infrastructural standards, as well as the growing expectations of the visitors’ stadium experience. Licht Kunst Licht developed an appropriately versatile and eye-catching lighting concept for the Red Bull Arena, which makes intelligent and impressive use of the stadium’s architectural potential. Visitors can now expect spectacular entertainment of architecture and light.
Known as the “Stadium of the Hundred Thousand”, the Central Stadium was once the largest in Germany. After an eventful history and a renovation for the 2006 Fifa World Cup, the venue was renamed “Red Bull Arena” in July 2010 after the stadium operator had sold the naming rights to RedBull GmbH for the next 30 years.
In order to meet the constantly growing visitor experience expectations as well as the requirements of major international sports events, Red Bull GmbH and RasenBallsport e.V. decided to modernize the stadium. The contract for the renovation, modernization, and expansion was awarded to the architectural office Albert Wimmer ZT-GmbH from Vienna. The Red Bull Arena will be rebuilt, expanded, and modernized in various areas through 2022.
During the first construction phase, the wall of the former Central Stadium was cut at the south end of the Red Bull Arena, behind the historic bell tower, and a new entrance to the arena was created. Here, a building was erected as an extension to the previous stadium structure, housing new toilets and catering kiosks. Furthermore, a new 120-square-meter fan shop and a flocking station were developed. In addition to the modernization of all existing kiosks and the expansion of the hospitality areas, spacious standing-room areas were created for home and guest fans. After completion of the expansion and conversion measures, at a cost of approximately 60 million euros, the Red Bull Arena is able to accommodate more than 47,000 visitors since August 2021.
