Union Berlin ‘foolproof’ venue redo project

Article posted by Coliseum, July 29^th, 2024

Image: Union Berlin

Dirk Zingler, President of the Bundesliga team 1. Union Berlin, announced recently that the planned expansion and renovation of the top-flight’s home ground – the Stadion An der Alten Försterei in Berlin, Germany – has been postponed by at least a year.

‘MOZ.de’ stated that the rejig work originally planned for the 2025-2026 seasons, including the 1. Union Berlin temporarily moving to the 74,475-capacity Olympiastadion in Berlin, has been pushed back by a year to ensure that the redevelopment work is “foolproof”.

The 1. Union Berlin, commonly known as the Union Berlin, is a professional German football club based in Köpenick, Berlin, Germany. The club plays in the Bundesliga, the top of the German football league system.

The 22,012-capacity Stadion An der Alten Försterei is a football stadium in Köpenick and the largest single-purpose football stadium in the German capital of Berlin. It serves as the abode of the Bundesliga team 1. FC Union Berlin.

‘MOZ.de’ quoted Zingler as stating, “As per the current construction schedule, we will be in the Olympiastadion in 2026-2027. Creating a conducive atmosphere for the construction work to start holds more significance rather than just starting the whole exercise as a tick-in- the-box process. Problems can always occur during the construction schedule. Moreover, the construction plans also have to be drawn up before we can start construction/redecoration work in the real sense of the term.”

He further stated that redevelopment work on Union Berlin’s present home will start only when the development of a new training complex behind the stadium is completed.

The above project was first presented in 2017 but got delayed as COVID struck the world baring its fangs in 2020. The traffic plan too did not cut ice with the concerned authorities. In November 2022, the Union submitted a fresh plan for the spruce-up of their home facility.

The above development envisages a capacity increase of the Stadion An der Alten Försterei from 22,000 to around 37,500. The three standing room grandstands will be rebuilt. Only the main stand will remain in place but will be extended by one tier.

With a capacity of just over 22,000, the Stadion An der Alten Försterei is the smallest venue among all Bundesliga stadia. This is one of the reasons why the Union Berlin wants to refurbish and expand their home ground.

In 2022, the club made use of the purchase right under the heritable building right clause and is, therefore, the owner of the stadium property for the first time in the club’s history. The entire stretch from Wuhlheide to Hämmerlingstrasse falls under the club ground.

Added Zingler, “We will demolish the three sides of the stadium only when we can ascertain a particular date when the club will be able to return back to its home field. We don’t want any construction hiccups and it should not be a scenario of the Union Berlin moving from one temporary venue to the other. The top-notch club will move out of their home only when everything is streamlined.”

Zingler has termed the above development as a “generational project” for the Union Berlin.

He concluded by stating, “We definitely want a totally new-look Stadion An der Alten Försterei but to be able to facilitate that we have to be well-prepared first and foremost. My concern is not the delay but that the construction schedule/exercise should be foolproof.”

Continue to follow Coliseum for latest updates on venues business news. Coliseum is dedicated towards building the best global community of sports and entertainment venue executives and professionals creating better and more profitable venues.

Become a member of the only Global Sports Venue Alliance and connect with stadiums, arenas and experts from around the world. Apply for membership at coliseum-online.com/alliance and make use of the 365Coliseum Business.

Watch 380 member-exclusive videos with valuable tips for your venue