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Olympic Stadium

Berlin’s Olympic Stadium was the primary venue of the World Championship of Soccer in 2006, as well as for the Track and Field World Championships of 2009. The view from the tower extends from the Mayfield to the "Marathontor" (Marathon Arch) into the Olympic Stadium. Since all stadium seats are now covered by a newly constructed roof, the appearance of the premises has changed . The roof structure rises to a height of 68 meters above the tiers of the seating. Two translucent membranes and a glass roof-edge section enable large amounts of light to enter the stadium. A supporting structure allows the roof to be permanently open at the Marathon Arch, thus allowing a clear sight line to the Bell Tower. 20 roof-supporting columns carry a weight of 3,500 tons of steel. The roof comprises a total of 37,000 square meters.

The Berlin stadium, the largest in Germany, offers covered seating for 75,000 spectators. 113 VIP boxes were installed on the center floor of the Olympic Stadium. The facility is equipped with modern lighting, sound, and information equipment. Press, broadcasting, and television crews enjoy optimal working conditions. A variety of restaurants are located inside the stadium. Two underground garages, offering 630 parking spaces, are located adjacent to the main structure. A recently constructed subterranean hall, used by athletes to warm up, is located beneath the Marathon Arch.

A team of architects, engineers, and construction workers were busy for four years (2000-2004), converting this important historic monument into a high-tech stadium. The lower tier of seating was demolished and rebuilt at a different angle of inclination. The load-bearing structure of the upper tier was extensively refurbished. The playing field was lowered by 2.65 meters (9 feet) during the summer of 2002. Approximately 90,000 cubic meters (3.2 million cu. ft.) of sand was excavated. 70,000 cubic meters (2.5 million cu. ft.) of concrete and 20,000 cubic meters (700,000 cu. ft.) of pre-cast, reinforced concrete elements were used; 12,000 cubic meters (424,000 cu. ft.) of concrete was demolished and removed. 30,000 cubic meters (1.1 million cu. ft.) of natural stone was refurbished. The rebuilding costs amounted to 242 million Euros. We invite you to visit the homepage for additional information: www.olympiastadion-berlin.de