Hertha Stadion – design description

How did the concept of a new stadium for Hertha Berlin originate?

Since 1963 Hertha Berlin have played their matches at the historic Olympic Stadium. Between 2000 and 2004, in connection with the hosting of the 2006 World Cup, the venue underwent extensive renovation and the stands were almost fully roofed. In the 21st century, however, there were growing tendencies for Hertha to move out to their own new facility.

The main reasons for wanting to leave the Olympic Stadium were the presence of an athletics track and the resulting remoteness of the stands from the pitch, too high a capacity, so that even with relatively high attendances of more than 50,000 spectators, the stadium has a lot of empty seats, which does not make the best impression, and low commercial potential. In addition, it was estimated that the costs of paying off the construction of the new stadium would be comparable to the rent for the existing arena.

What were the first ideas for a new stadium for Hertha Berlin?

The first serious steps towards change began to be taken in 2016, when potential sites for a new stadium began to be considered. In total, more than 50 locations were analysed, and those outside the administrative borders of Berlin were also included in the process. Among the potential options also considered was the conversion of the Olympic Stadium into a football-specific venue without an athletics track, as well as the construction of a temporary stadium.

Two architectural concepts were produced in 2017, one by gmp Architekten showing the potential appearance of the Olympic Stadium after redevelopment into a football-type stadium, and the other, prepared by Albert Speer + Partner, envisaging the construction of a new 55,000-seat stadium in the Olympic Park, not far from the Olympic Stadium (this location was ultimately considered the most desirable for the construction of the new facility).

The redevelopment of the Olympic Stadium was rejected on the grounds that it would interfere too much with the structure (it is a listed building). The Albert Speer + Partner concept, on the other hand, was later refined, including moving it a piece to the east, closer to Rominter Allee, and the facility was also to be dug deeper into the ground to interfere as little as possible with the historic foundation of the Olympic sports complex.

The club encountered problems in coming to an agreement with the housing association whose premises were located on the site of the planned development. The plans for a new stadium were also viewed unfavourably by the local authorities, for whom moving the club out could mean trouble maintaining the monumental Olympic Stadium. However, they did try to help, for example by proposing a new location at Tegel Airport, although this did not suit the club very well.

In the meantime, Hertha fans became active and formed an initiative to solve the problems holding back the new arena, as well as providing their own comments on the shape of the future venue. At the beginning of 2022, Hertha published an updated vision of the new stadium, which was still to be built at Rominter Allee. In the new renderings, the stadium had a softer, oval form, compared to previous concepts by Albert Speer + Partner.

What are the latest details about the new stadium for Hertha Berlin?

A few months later, however, a new location was proposed, also within the Olympic Park, on the site known as 'Lindeneck', located at the northern edge of Maifeld Field. In mid-2022, another architectural concept was published, with Lindner Planungsbüro now in charge. The new vision depicts the possible appearance of the stadium when fitted into the newly chosen location, at Maifeld.

Meanwhile, in 2024 there were suggestions that the facility could stand in yet another location on the Olympic Park – in place of the Hippodrome (Olympisches Reiterstadion).

What does the concept by Lindner Planungsbüro entail?

Embedded in a tight plot of land, the design is clearly constrained by the spatial conditions, with a steeply pitched north stand and evokes associations with Argentina's famous La Bombonera, whose appearance was determined by its location in the midst of dense urban development.

The facility, designed by Lindner Planungsbüro, will be built on a rectangular plan with rounded corners. The stands will surround the playing field on all sides. The pitch and the first row of the auditorium are to be below ground level. The south stand will be considerably higher than the one on the opposite side, and the connecting stands behind the goals will gradually decrease in height towards the north.

The auditorium will be covered with a canopy. On the outside, the stands will be coated by a façade consisting of interconnected rings running around the stadium. The lower the ring, the more it is shaped like a curve or sine wave, so that arched sections are formed at the bottom, which are not covered by the rings, revealing the glass façade behind.

The façade of the south stand will face the Maifeld field, enriching its landscape. It is intended to provide an interesting background for concerts, festivities and other events on the field. In addition, the new stadium is to be equipped with solar panels and a rainwater management system, which will be used to irrigate the field.

A significant change compared to previous concepts is the reduction in planned capacity. Whereas previously there was talk of around 55,000 spectators, the new vision calls for an audience of 45,000, of which 17,000 will be standing room (for international matches, capacity will be around 37,000). For major matches with very high fan interest, Hertha will still be able to use the Olympic Stadium.

When will the new stadium for Hertha be built?

The estimated cost of building the new stadium is around €250 million, which Hertha is expected to cover on its own. It is not yet known when work on the construction of the facility could start, but it seems a foregone conclusion that the previously assumed move out of the Olympic Stadium in 2025 is no longer realistic.