Lanxess Arena

• Kölner Haie (DEL, 1998 )
• VfL Gummersbach (HBL, since 2001)
• Köln 99ers (BBL, 2001-2009 )

• Ice Hockey World Championship for Men 2001
• European Club Championship 2006
• NBA Europe Live Tour 2006
• Handball World Championship for Men 2007
• Ice Hockey World Championship for Men 2010
• EHF Champions League Final4 2010-2014
• Boxing match between Wladimir Klitschko - Axel Schulz on 25 September 1999
• Boxing match between Wladimir Klitschko - Lamon Brewster on 7 July 2007
• Boxing match between Felix Sturm - Giovanni Lorenzo 4 September 2010
• Boxing fight between Vitali Klitschko - Odlanier Solis March 19, 2011
• Boxing match between Felix Sturm - Matthew Macklin 25 June 2011
• Wrestling
• Concerts
• Laughing Cologne Arena
• General meetings of German companies

The Lanxess Arena, Cologne Arena to renamed in 2008, is Germany's largest multi-purpose arena. It is the center in Cologne's Deutz district. In the first quarter of 2013, the arena occupied by the O2 Arena in London and the Manchester Arena in third place among the most visited arenas worldwide. In Cologne, she is nicknamed Henkelmännchen because of their shape.

With up to 20,000 seats (varies depending on the event and depends on the stage setup ) and 83,700 square meters of floor space, diverse dining options, modern stage, sound and lighting technology, it is suitable for many types of events such as sports, concerts, theater, conferences or meetings with 20 to 20,000 visitors.

The Arena has because of the regularly scheduled games here in Cologne Hockey clubs Kölner Haie a concealable ice and in the size variable seating and general admission bleachers. The Lanxess Arena was built in the years 1996-1998 according to the design of the architecture firm Böhm. The official opening was on 17 October 1998 during a concert by Luciano Pavarotti. As early as the September 11, 1998 found Games of Kölner Haie place in the arena; concerts, there were already before the official opening.

The Arena has its own mascot named " Areni " which occurs on all major events.

• 3.1 Structural data
• 3.2 arc
• 3.3 roof
• 3.4 acoustics

Events

Sports

Regularly in the Lanxess Arena following teams play their home games from:

• Kölner Haie (ice hockey / DEL)
• VfL Gummersbach ( Handball / HBL)

2006 found at the Arena European Club Championship in Handball place and the final tournament of the NBA Europe Live Tour. In the Men's Handball World Championship for Men in 2007 found eight games held in the arena, including the final. After the Ice Hockey World Championship for Men 2001 already took place for the second time a hockey World Cup tournament in the arena instead of the Ice Hockey World Championship for Men 2010.

World Wrestling Entertainment has so far been five times a guest in the arena, on 1 May 2002 under the " Insurrextion " tour with the RAW roster, on 10 October 2003 as part of the " Passport to Pain " tour with the SmackDown! cadres, once again on 23 April 2006 as part of " WrestleMania Revenge " tour with the SmackDown roster! , and on 13 October 2007 as part of the " Survivor Series " tour with the RAW roster. Is the most recent event was the " WrestleMania Revenge " tour of SmackDown! Squad on April 16, 2009. In these four events, the WWE superstars were able to attract a total of about 40,000 spectators in the arena.

Since 2000 also found regular basketball games at the Lanxess Arena instead. First users were the Telekom Baskets Bonn, which moved in 2000 for a game against Alba Berlin in the Cologne Arena. There she presented with 18,506 spectators on a new European record. Between 2001 and 2009, the Cologne 99ers played regularly at the Lanxess Arena. However, the team rarely sufficient audience could lure into the arena and completed most home games at much smaller GEW Energy Dome with only 3,000 seats.

The European Football Championship in 2008, and the FIFA World Cup 2010 were also transferred into the arena as a Public Viewing Event. Here, all games of the German national football team and all matings were transferred from the quarter- finals. In addition to the inner area of ​​the arena, a 50 m² big screen was mounted in the outdoor area, which 32,000 visitors free entry could be made possible to the event. The gates Turkey are already closed two hours before the game starts, as both areas were early crowded - Still for example, had the semi-final Germany.

The Cologne Arena 2010 was one of the venues for the Ice Hockey World Championship for Men 2010. Among other things found here at Whitsun the semi-finals and finals take place. Since 2010, takes place annually the EHF Champions League Final4 in Arena. The Final4 2011 was played on 28 and 29 May of the year. By 2014, the Final4 station in Cologne will make.

Concerts

Many well-known artists gave so far in the Lanxess Arena concerts. The first concert in the Arena was on 1 October 1998, the Swiss pop star DJ BoBo. On 4 October 1998, the Kelly Family performed a successful concert was in front of 16,000 spectators. This was followed on 5 and 6 October 1998, two concerts of the British pop group Depeche Mode as part of their "Singles 1986-1998 Tour". Bruce Springsteen also has already occurred three times each in a sold-out arena, most recently in 2007 with the E Street Band. Even Britney Spears and Lady Gaga gave here already two concerts.

The internationally successful tour of The Nokia Night of the Proms regularly replenished on two evenings in December, the Lanxess Arena. In November 1998, the Germany premiere of Disney's Mulan took place there. Home also have large, long-established Kölsch bands such as the Black Fööss with their New Year's Eve concerts or Hoehner, who both regularly sold-out performances in the arena. A crowd puller in the Cologne Carnival is the event Laughing Cologne Arena, the successor to the Laughing sports hall.

Meetings

In addition, at the Lanxess Arena several meetings of German corporations are taking place. These include company Lufthansa, German Post AG and German Telekom AG.

Other Events

Stefan Raab always leads to special programs outside of his actual show TV total in the Lanxess Arena through. In the arena, among others, the Boxrückkampf against Regina Halmich took place on 30 March 2007. In 2008 also the first car - Ball Championship was held in the arena. On June 4, 2010, the first "TV total car Ball World Cup 2010 " also in the Lanxess Arena instead. On 29 May 2009 was held for the first time instead of the German Eisfußball Cup and 29 September 2011 the Federal Vision Song Contest was held - more of Raab -initiated events. As part of the Cologne Pride also COLOUR Cologne took place here. With over 16,000 participants, the event for the 35 - year anniversary of the German Investment counseling on 23 February 2010, the largest non-public event was nationwide. Otherwise, for several years the finals of the talent show Germanys Next Topmodel by Heidi Klum in the arena took place.

History

For decades, the city had no hall of this size, even though it was at least since the 1980s in politics and economy largely agree that a building of this type commands. Built in 1958 in Cologne Sporthalle on the fairgrounds with 8,000 seats had neither the size nor the functionality of a modern conference hall.

To finance was sought investors. This was found in 1989 with the participation of Strabag, which wanted to build the so-called Euro Palace. But this drew their participation back a short time later.

Finally, they agreed on the draft Philipp Holzmann AG and financing through a real estate fund Cologne -Deutz Arena. As a building site of the fixed and Messeparkplatz in Cologne- Deutz were selected. What the project is finally out hesitated to 1996, were doubts as to whether the construction of a meeting hall would carry alone afterwards; Therefore, it was soon clear that the hall should receive a peripheral development. Because tenants were not to be found here in advance in sufficient numbers, the city council decided that a part of the city administration should pull in these buildings. The opening of the former Cologne Arena took place in October 1998. 2000 also the " Cologne Arena 2 " was opened, which also belongs to the peripheral development and has since the Cologne Sharks have their training and administrative center in the.

Heading the Lanxess Arena in the Arena Management GmbH, a former Holzmann subsidiary, founded by the directors Ralf -B. Assenmacher and Götz Gessner. Today 's businesses Ralf -B. Assenmacher (until 30 September 2010) and Stefan holes out.

Since June 2, 2008, the arena is named Lanxess Arena due to a ten-year contract regulated cooperation between the operators of the Cologne Arena and the specialty chemicals group Lanxess.

At the carnival event " 11 in the 11th - again kölsche Songs " on November 10, 2012, the mark of 25 million visitors was exceeded. Since its opening in 1998, there were over 2400 events in the arena.

Architecture

Structural data

• Start of construction: 1 Groundbreaking: July 31, 1996
• Construction time: 26 months
• Total investment: 300 million DM (about 153 million euros )
• Total of all levels: 83,700 m²
• Area: 16,800 m²
• Length and width: 140 m long, 120 m wide
• Total height with bow: 76 m
• Interior height: 42 m (highest point)
• Seatings: 7.000 (lower part), 20,000 ( maximum capacity)
• Maximum Action area: 52 x 84 m
• Load capacity: 2500 kg per m²
• Dimensions of the stage: up to 50 x 40 m
• Backstage area: 700 m²
• Load capacity of the roof: up to 90 t

Arc

The bow, made ​​in Poland, is the most visible support structure for the roof of the hall; it is accessible for maintenance purposes. In the height above the roof edge is located on both sides of the sheet an input, as in the center of the arc in 76 m height. A welded staircase in the bow course allows the passage.

The bow has the external dimensions of 3 mx 3 m and a settlement of 250 m. The short space has a width of 0.5 m. The sheet consists of a total of 10 items. The largest of which has a weight of about 90 tons. When assembling two parts of a page each were delivered separately and welded on site. During assembly, the respective ends were supported on the north and south sides of the arena corresponding hydraulic concrete platforms.

Suspensions from the arch to the roof have an outer diameter of 220 mm and a wall thickness of 18 to 30 mm. The first hanger on the south side of the Lanxess Arena can withstand a load of up to 360 t. In the event of severe weather was a high risk that the hangers stir, advised to lurch and so could cause considerable damage. For this reason, stretched in the lower third of the hangers, a wire consisting of stainless steel, with a diameter of 6 mm. The bottom bearing of the arc to the north and south sides are designed so that the sheet can move freely in all directions. These bearings can accommodate a maximum load of 2,500 t.

Roof

In the outer shell of the roof ribs are incorporated to ensure the smooth and slow stormwater runoff into the gutter. This prevents that the rain gutter filled unevenly and / or overflows through the roof pitch. The integrated, bottom not visible gutter is located in the edge region and is completely covered by the panel. The gutter has the interior dimensions of WxH 1.5 x 1.8 m and each of the 24 components weighs about 7 tons. Due to the roof slope from the south to the north side with a height difference of 12 m were installed in the trough levels, which should calm the water in its flow. On the north side of the water falls by two passages in a catch basin to get it to calm down again before it is discharged into the sewer system.

Acoustics

The acoustics in the Lanxess Arena is difficult due to the structural characteristics. She prepared especially in the early days many bands big problems, as it turned out for the sound engineer to be nearly impossible to estimate the empty hall ( without spectators ) in the sound check. Particular problems the large glass surfaces of the VIP lounges, which are arranged like a band halfway up the spectator stands along the arena. Reflections on these glass surfaces plus reflected sound from the vaulted ceiling make the sound even when filled hall for sound engineering challenge that can not be mastered without complex digital correction measures. By appropriately adapted sound a satisfactory sound is, however, at least for classical music concerts possible.

In rock and pop concerts with higher levels have continued to occur problems. The Prince concert from July 27, 2011 had to be interrupted after the start for about an hour, because it was not possible to integrate the PA stage of the artist in the ranking of the PA Lanxess Arena. Also the only Germany concert of Paul McCartney December 1, 2011 suffered from serious sound problems, as well as the concert of Beyonce on 15 March 2014.

Transport links

The Lanxess Arena is directly connected to several major roads, including the Eastern Shuttle connected as an extension of only about 400 meters from the Arena ending A559 and has a connected parking garage with approximately 1,750 parking spaces. An underground car park with about 630 and a car park with around 300 seats in the areas of the Arena 2 complete the offer. The connection to the public transport network of the city railway in Cologne takes place on the west two stops Bf Messe / Deutz and Deutz college east of the arena. The Köln Messe / Deutz station with S- Bahn stop, as well as regional and intercity transport connection is directly accessible via a pedestrian bridge.

Criticism

In addition to the Lanxess Arena two administrative buildings were built on the site. These are, according to press reports at inflated rents and providing false information to the base leased to the City of Cologne. The responsible for this operation former city manager Lothar Meier Rusch was with Josef Esch and Matthias Graf von Krockow Managing Director of Oppenheim -Esch Holding GbR, which has launched the real estate fund Cologne -Deutz Arena.