Millerntor-Stadion – stadium description

From 1946 to 1961 Sankt Pauli player nearby, at a ground dismantled before 1963 garden exposition. Along with the dismantling construction of a new ground was progressing. But though it was a simple mound-based structure, opening was possible no sooner than in 1963, as engineers forgot drainage for the pitch and it was turning into a swamp after every major rainfall.

Since 1963 the club rests in its location then, but the ground was undergoing changes. Those included the name – patronage of Wilhelm Koch was given in 1970 and aborted in 1998. As for the structure, most changes included installing seats and decreasing capacity for safety reasons. At its lowest point, the one-32,000 stadium had a capacity of 19,800 (2005). That’s when need for a major revamp became more apparent than ever before. And though attempts to redevelop Millerntor dated back to 1980’s, this time for once they were successful.

In 2006 works started on the South stand, designed by agn Niederberghaus & Partner. New structure includes three levels of comfort. Lowest, both symbolically and literally, is terracing, above which seated sections were built and the stand ends with business suites. Another stage of the revamp was new main stand (West) that was opened in November 2010. Another one, on the opposite side of the pitch, was opened in January 2013, raising cpacity from 24,500 to 29,000. Finally in 2015 the north end was the last grandstand to be replaced, however capacity did not grow substantially.

As much as Sankt Pauli has a reputation for being a very “alternative” club, the stadium also boasts several unusual features. One of them is a miniature railway model that delivers beverages to the richer viewers. Another – a freestanding skybox that looks like a dump about to collapse, despite being a rather decent structure. In early 2011 Millerntor came to global spotlight after a nightclub installed a pole in their skybox with strippers performing dances during games. On the other hand, though, the stadium is also leading in some aspects. The new main stand has a first club-led kindergarten for some 100 kids and the catering menu was recognized for a selection of vegetarian and vegan meals.  

How Millerntor-Stadion compares to other Bundesliga stadiums?