Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion – Dresden

A new building to the rescue

Let’s think along the lines of emergencies—something we should all take the time to do now and then. Because even for a football club, emergencies sometimes crop up. For example, the revocation of a licence. This sword of Damocles hung over the secondary league team Dynamo Dresden due to construction problems. The old stadium, named after the athlete Rudolf Harbig, was over 50 years old and was hardly even in compliance with the most rudimentary safety regulations of the DFB. Nearly every corner as well as the ends of the stadium were drafty, the structural qualities of the stands ranged from “ramshackle” to “dilapidated” and the number of sheltered seats amounted to just 220. Not to mention the lack of sufficient toilet facilities and a working safety infrastructure. In other words, high time for action: a mission for HBM. Based on the successful Ostseestadion Rostock model, the stadium specialist is building a modern football arena for the yellow and black jerseyed Dynamo players. In successive stages and in clockwise fashion, the individual stands will be gradually dismantled and replaced by new ones. Not only will the new stadium be in line with modern standards, but in other areas as well, HBM’s policy is to realign what was once askew. One small example: since the neighbouring swimming pool, known as the Arnhold Bad, was always in the shadow of the stadium, the new building will be shifted by 27 metres, moving it closer to the Lennéstraße. When completed, it will accommodate some 32,400 spectators, of which—as a concession to the fans—about 10,800 are standing room spots. The new stadium will provide modern sanitary facilities, sufficient catering outlets and up-to-date surveillance systems. And it will not only feature some 1,200 business seats, but also finally provide VIP boxes, which will ultimately be an important financial resource for the club. According to the Dynamo management, all 22 boxes have already been rented—even though the 20-month construction period has not even commenced yet. The new Rudolf Harbig Stadion is slated for completion in 2009, providing a worthy—and naturally licensed—home to the traditional East German club and eight time GDR champion. Emergency situation: solved.