MHPArena – design description

Why is another modernisation of the stadium in Stuttgart planned?

Opened in 1933, the stadium in Stuttgart has undergone many upgrades over the years. The last major redevelopment of the venue took place between 2009 and 2011, when the athletics track was removed, the pitch was lowered, the roof was widened and the stands were brought closer to the playing field. In 2017, the roof membrane, which was built in 1993, was also replaced.

After Germany became the host of Euro 2024 in 2018 and Stuttgart was included in the list of cities to stage matches of the tournament, thoughts of another extension began.

How did the preparations for the modernisation of the stadium in Stuttgart proceed?

The plans mainly called for the modernisation of the lower part of the main stand, which was to receive new, more extensive facilities after the reconstruction. Although the scope of work appeared to be more modest than the redevelopment carried out in 2009-2011, the investment budget was estimated at €65 million, slightly more than the cost of the aforementioned modernisation.

The share of the various stakeholders in the funding was determined as follows: €22.5 million each was to be provided by VfB Stuttgart and the stadium management company (Stadion Neckar Park KG), and €20 million was to come from the city budget. In July 2020, the city council voted in favour of the investment.

During the tendering process, it became apparent that the works would cost significantly more than expected. This was influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic and the rising prices of construction materials, and possibly also by poor competition, as of the three entities that had bid for the construction tender, two later withdrew from it.

One question mark was whether the club would be able to bear the cost of the investment in case it played in the 2. Bundesliga. In both the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons, the VfB team struggled mightily to stay in the Bundesliga, but managed to avoid relegation each time after fighting until the very end.

What are the costs of rebuilding the stadium in Stuttgart?

The cost of rebuilding the stand was to be €97 million, an additional €1.5 million was to be spent on the installation of photovoltaic panels, and the creation of rooms at the back of the stand, including exclusive boxes and business areas, was estimated at around €30 million. In total, the investment was to cost around €130 million.

As the new commercial areas were to provide VfB with more profit, the club took on the cost of arranging the rooms (around €30m), with the remaining €98.5m split between the club (€24.75m), the stadium management company (€36.25m) and the city (€37.5m). VfB Stuttgart was also faced with an increase in stadium fees. After a re-evaluation and cost allocation, the city council once again approved the redevelopment in February 2022.

What is the project brief for the redevelopment of the stadium in Stuttgart?

First and foremost, the project will include a new structure for the lower floor of the main stand. Underneath the stand, there will be new media areas, changing rooms, a kitchen and 8,000 m² of business space, including an exclusive "Tunnelclub" for 200 guests, from which it will be possible to watch the players in a tunnel leading from the changing rooms to the pitch. Kiosks will be refurbished throughout the stadium, and pedestrian routes are also to be improved.

During the works, the floodlights in the stadium will be replaced with LEDs, a new sound system will be created, and photovoltaic panels will be installed in the roof structure to cover up to 10% of the facility's electricity needs. The roof membrane will be able to be illuminated in multiple colours. There will be 2,000 more standing places in the stand behind the gate on the north-west side (the so-called "Cannstatter Kurve"), as well as additional places for wheelchair users.

What will be the effects of the redevelopment of the stadium in Stuttgart?

As a result of the redevelopment, the total capacity of the stadium will be reduced slightly, from 60,449 to 60,030 spectators (for international matches from 54,812 to 54,244 spectators). The modernisation will add much better facilities under the main stand. The modernisation will open up new prospects in terms of marketing and business. The expansion of the offer for wealthier visitors is expected to significantly improve the club's profits.

The venue will be very well prepared for the Euro 2024 finals, during which it is expected to host four group stage matches and one quarter-final. The upgrade will also make the stadium an attractive candidate for hosting other major events in the future.

How is the redevelopment of the stadium in Stuttgart progressing?

You can see an inside look at the redevelopment of the stadium in Stuttgart on a separate subpage

The design for the redevelopment was created by studio asp Architekten, which had already worked on previous upgrades to the stadium in Stuttgart, and a consortium of Züblin and ROM Technik became the main contractor. Work started in May 2022 (the groundbreaking ceremony took place on June 3). From the start of the 2023/24 season, seats in the rebuilt part of the main stand are to be progressively made available. Full commissioning is expected to take place in early 2024, before the start of the spring round.

During the course of the work, the venue's title sponsor changed and on July 1, 2023 the existing name Mercedes-Benz Arena was replaced by a new one, MHPArena.