DFB Frankfurt

The Deutscher Fußball-Bund (DFB), the German Football Association, was founded in 1900. With more than 6.8M members, it is the largest sport federation in the world.

The new DFB headquarters is intended to be built on the lands of a former dog racing track and golf course in Frankfurt-Niederrad, enclosed by forests and parks.

Project Details +

Project Details

LOCATION: Frankfurt am Main, Germany

CLIENT: Deutscher Fußball-Bund (DFB)

DATE: 2014–2015

STATUS: Competition

SIZE: 4,400m² press centre, event, restaurant, athletes’ house; 6,000m² DFB Academy 3,800m² administration; 45,000m² of sport fields


Credits +

Credits

ACME: Julia Cano, Sarah Blahut, Cristian Gheorghe, Lizy Huyghe, Friedrich Ludewig, Jan Saggau, Heidrun Schuhmann, Thomas Soo 

Existing trees

Separate function pavilions

Common space and disc

Voids for daylight and views

Large and spacious meadows, bordered by impressive protected trees offer a unique view of the Frankfurt skyline. The new building is a place for four independent programmes - the DFB corporate headquarters, the DFB press and visitors, the Athletes’ Academy for the training of the national team, and the Athletes’ House, a boarding house for the youth academy and the national team.

The proposal seeks to build within the forest while minimising interface with the ground and retaining all existing trees. The four programmes are accommodated in a corresponding number of slender circular volumes, with good views over the training pitches.

A fifth volume is introduced to connect the other buildings and create social spaces, with meeting rooms, lecture spaces, canteen and café. This volume floats 6m above the forest and allows functionaries, players and trainers to meet and intermingle, to enjoy views into the forest and to see the ongoing training from an elevated vantage point. The roof of the fifth volume is a garden to be used for leisure and exercise.

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