Ballbuben – a visit to FC Bayern

First, congratulations to FC Bayern Munich on winning the 2022 German Championship in the Bundesliga, now for the tenth time in a row. That’s a remarkable sporting achievement. The Bayern stadium, the arena named after a major sponsor, is also remarkable. The ‘inflatable boat’ has become an architectural landmark of the city of Munich. The design by the Basel architectural firm Herzog de Meuron consists of pneumatically pre-stressed cushions made of plastic film and can be illuminated in multiple colours. In addition to the club’s red for special occasions, it can also be green (St. Patrick’s Day), EU blue with stars, or rainbow colours. This makes the stadium a glowing attraction, especially at night, and a widely visible landmark. On numerous approaches to Munich Airport, it often signals ‘coming home’ as the first recognisable sign of the city.

I’ve already experienced several FC Bayern matches and am also impressed by the stadium’s interior. Designed purely as a football stadium, you’re close to the pitch from almost every seat, with the furthest seat at the very top being 70 metres away. This contributes to a great atmosphere. On a guided stadium tour, I was also able to visit the team changing rooms, the players’ tunnel, and team areas by the pitch. There, I got further inspiration to combine elements from the interior with exterior shots of the iconic facade to create a multi-layered collage. The term ‘Ballbuben’ (ball boys) can be found on one of the changing room doors, and it could also be jokingly understood as referring to the team’s ball artists. The image from inside the stadium dates back to the 2013 championship celebration, which marked the beginning of the ten-year era of dominance in German football, thus drawing a line to the current year.

The artwork, FC Bayern, and the stadium are closely linked to the Olympiapark, Bayern’s former home ground. The Olympic Stadium with its tent roof is also an architectural masterpiece and inspired me to an artistic exploration.