Effective with the city’s approval of modifications that was granted 16 January 2006, the legal capacity of the stadium increased from 66, 000 to 69, 901 spectators (including standing room). The lower tier up to 22,000, 10,400 of the seats in the lower tier corners can be converted to standing room to allow an additional 3, 120 spectators. The total capacity includes 2,000 business seats, 400 seats for the press, 106 luxury boxes with seating for up to 174, and 165 berths for wheelchairs and the like.
There are four team locker rooms (one each for the two home teams and their respective opponents), four coaches’ locker rooms, and two locker rooms for referees. Two areas are also 550 toilets and 190 monitors in the arena.
The arena facade is constructed of 2, 874 ETFE (a fluorine based plastic) – foil air panels that are kept inflated with dry air to a differential pressure of 3.5 Pa. The panels appear white from far away but when examined closely, there are little dots on the panels. When viewed from far away, the eye combines the dots and sees white. When viewed close up however, it is possible to see through the foil.
The cost of the construction itself ran to 286 million but financing costs raised that figure to a total of 40 million.
The stadium was one of the venues for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. However, due to sponsorship contracts, the arena was called FIFA World Cup Stadium Munich during the World Cup.
The stadium has been nicknamed “Schaech boot” (inflatable boat).
