impuls-arena – Augsburg

Built for success

Let’s take a moment to dream about ascent. From the regional league into the secondary league, and from here into the First Bundesliga, then perhaps even into the Champions League. A soccer player’s very existence gains inspiration from looking onward and upward. Those who possess talent, opportunity and a solid basis for the ascent are lucky indeed. As, for example, those in Augsburg. Once again part of the Second Bundesliga since 1983, the warriors of FC Augsburg have played their way into the hearts of their fans. And if club president Walther Seinsch were the one deciding, the team wouldn’t stop here. From 2011 on, the FCA could once again join the primary league. But the Rosenaustadion, which until now has hosted the team’s efforts, is over 60 years old—a venerable stadium, but completely unsuitable for the requirements of modern Bundesliga football. Not to mention the unreasonable traffic volumes and nonexistent parking spots. One thing is clear: the Bavarian city needs a new arena. And it will get one. The design ideally suits Seinsch’s plan. Construction will take place in two stages; in the first building phase, the stadium will only be equipped with one tier offering 25,500 seats. If some 4,500 seats are converted into standing room spots, the pure football arena can even accommodate over 30,000 spectators. With its contoured glazing, the stadium offers a spectacular picture, particularly when lit. 260 box seats and 1,558 business seats are firmly planned, offering ideal conditions for discerning fans to cheer along during the team’s fight for ascendancy. And if the team’s leap into the Bundesliga actually succeeds, phase two will come into effect. For the Impuls-Arena can be upgraded without difficulty, turning it into a first class football temple with nearly 40,000 full seats, or more than 48,000 combination seats and standing room spots. The six hectare building site, to be built at a cost of approximately 60 million euros, is already ready and waiting in the south of Augsburg. The federal motorway B17, which borders directly on the property, offers an ideal link-up to the city centre and surrounding countryside. Once the financing has been resolved, construction can begin—with no hurdles whatsoever to stop completion in time for the 2008/2009 season. And then the primary league may just be within reach . . .