BayArena: A stadium with a long history
The Leverkusen stadium has been on Bismarckstraße in Küppersteg for 60 years. On 2 August 1958 it was renamed the Ulrich Haberland Stadium - with a first game against Fortuna Düsseldorf. Over the course of the following decades it was redeveloped and upgraded several times. Since 1998, 40 years after it first opened, the home of the Werkself has been called the BayArena. Today, it is one of the most modern stadia in Germany and Europe. We look back at an eventful history...
Let's start from the beginning: When the football section of TuS 04 was founded in 1907, it attracted great attention – but there was no home ground back then. The footballers became nomads until they found a venue on Dhünnplatz in 1914 - today the site is occupied by Neuland Park. 18 years later,the footballers moved to another venue that attained legendary status with the fans as first division football was to be seen in Leverkusen for the first time after the Second World War. The street is still called Hemmelrather Weg and the stadium was officially named 'Am Stadtpark' on 4 September 1932. The site is now home to the Lise Meitner Grammar School. Am Stadtpark saw Bayer 04 promoted to the second tier of German football in 1936. The construction of a wooden stand in 1941 increased the capacity to 15,000. In 1951, Bayer 04 went up to the first division Oberliga West for the first time. The club stayed in the legendary Stadtpark for another nine years where many older Bayer 04 fans used to cheer on their Werkself. Then came the next change of venue.
For 60 years: The stadium on Bismarckstraße
Leverkusen's stadium has been on Bismarckstraße in Küppersteg for almost exactly 60 years. On 2 August 1958, it was renamed the Ulrich Haberland Stadium – with an opening match against Fortuna Düsseldorf. It was named after Ulrich Haberland who was the first general director of Bayer after the Second World War. Back then, the stadium had a covered West stand for around 4,000 fans opposite the terraces on the east side which rose to the level of Bismarckstraße.
The corners were only extended at a later point, which brought the capacity up to 20,000. The first floodlights at the stadium were installed in 1963 to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of Bayer AG.
From building site to showpiece
The East Stand was rebuilt in 1986, 1987/88 Saw the demolition of the old and the construction of a new West Stand. In 1988 Bayer 04 celebrated winning the UEFA Cup in the stadium in need of renovation with its own unique charm. A year later saw the appearance of the North Stand but the South Stand was yet to come. For eight years there was a huge gap in the southern section of the Ulrich Haberland Stadium. Then, in 1997, the South Stand was officially opened. The capacity was now 22,500 - the stadium was then considered to be the 'showpiece' of the league.
Now it was rounded off but still not completely finished. In 1998 the Leverkusen ground had its first undersoil heating and the Ulrich Haberland Stadium was renamed the BayArena. In 1999, construction workers again returned to work on the North Stand. The first stadium hotel in Germany took shape and the Lindner Hotel BayArena was officially opened just before the millennium.
Rebuild with fascinating roof structure
And the BayArena itself was upgraded again: December 2007 saw the opening of one of the most modern stadium headquarters in Germany, a fascinating roof structure around the arena, a new look in the stadium with the installation of seats in the club colours black and red, as well as an increased capacity to 30,000 with the construction of upper tiers on three sides of the stadium. Bayer 04 celebrated a 1-0 win against TSG Hoffenheim in the revamped BayArena on 15 August 2009.
The tent-like roof with a diameter of 217 metres that stretched far out over the extended stands, thereby providing protection against rain for the spectators at the stadium, represented just one of the many highlights of the modernised BayArena with over 2,000 business seats and 26 executive boxes.
The Werkstatt – Gym and rehab centre
Of course, VIP guests and fans were not the only ones to benefit from the new BayArena. The players did two: The team and physio area with new changing rooms, treatment and massage rooms covers an area of around 2,600 square metres and is almost four times as big as before. In 2010, Bayer 04 opened the 'Werkstatt,' an innovative training centre at the BayArena focused on prevention, regeneration and rehabilitation and thereby set new standards in medical care. In addition to an ultramodern gymnasium, there is an area of 2,200 square metres Uniquely equipped with rooms for training with reduced oxygen, and anti-gravity treadmill And the cold Chambers with temperatures down to 110 below zero to provide for quicker recovery. International superstars such as the NBA basketball player Kobe Bryant has visited the Icelab at the Werkstatt.
In the West main building there is the Premium Lounge on the second floor, which provides sophisticated comfort. Seven conference rooms with a view of the interior of the BayArena plus additional attractive facilities in the first and second floors of the West Stand cater for groups of up to 1,000 persons. The multi-functional brand room is particularly innovative with its comprehensive multimedia technology setting exceptional standards. The Business Lounge is located on the first floor next to the press area.
Exceptional service quality
At the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2011, four games were played at the BayArena attracting a total of 90,000 fans.
Two years later, Bayer 04 took a pioneering role in the Bundesliga Making the BayArena stadium of the future.Since July 2013, StadiumVision at the arena offers fans First in terms of comprehensive multi-media experience during and after games. The main elements are 500 different sized HD screens for information and entertainment throughout the stadium and fast wireless Internet communication. 350 wireless access points Ensure outstanding network coverage throughout the BayArena so that supporters can quickly access the Internet on their mobile devices for surfing, emailing or sharing photos and videos.
It is no surprise the BayArena received rewards in 2015 for special service quality from TÜV Rheinland and the independent market research company SLC Management GmbH.
And because the well-known words of Adi Preißler: "What happens on the pitch is decisive", still applies, then the pitch at the BayArena absolutely fits in with the top of the Bundesliga. An expert panel of the German Football League (DFL) named the BayArena in the 2017/18 season the 'Pitch of the year'– ahead of Bayern Munich (Allianz Arena) and the previous year's winners Borussia Dortmund (Signal Iduna Park).
Extensive upgrades over recent years have included the rebuilding an extension of kiosks. In addition, club renewed all the toilets on the lower concourse. Talking about concourses: The design of the walls provides a special Bayer 04 feeling. Here, the history of Bayer 04 is brought to life. Whether it's Karim Bellarabi with his record goal, the celebrations of Rüdiger Vollborn after the last penalty in the UEFA Cup final against Espanol, legendary coaches like Willibert Kremer, crowd favourites like Erik Meijer and Paulo Sergio or stars like Bernd Schneider, Rudi Völler and Michael Ballack: They are all captured in street art form. That means the BayArena can also be experienced like a special museum.
The Schwadbud – Tradition from all four corners
The Schwadbud is a special experience. Since opening in August 2014, the fan pub combines the here and now with history and provides a fascinating insight into Bayer 04 history in a fitting environment. Here tradition is not just evident in names but also springs out from every wall, corner and pore. The Schwadbud is the venue for exciting fan talks, home to Bayer 04 round-table discussions and the social meeting point for young and old to watch games. An ideal place to get in the mood to cheer on the lads for both home and away matches.
The BayArena has long been a landmark in Leverkusen. This stadium has never stood still. There has always been the next step, the next level of development. And that's how it will remain in the future.
