Populous has been commissioned to provide lead design services for the new Frankfurt Multipurpose Arena in Germany.
The contract was secured alongside Buro Happold and Drees & Sommer, marking the beginning of the next phase in the development of the planned arena at Frankfurt’s stadium campus.
Sportpark Stadion Frankfurt Gesellschaft für Projektentwicklungen mbH (SSF) appointed Populous for the P9 Multipurpose Arena following a Europe-wide procurement process.
Proprojekt said that working alongside the Institute for Sports Facility Consulting (IFS), it assisted SSF in preparing, organizing, and conducting the Europe-wide procurement process.
A total of 180 companies expressed interest in the tender. From this pool of participants, five qualified bidders were invited to submit proposals. Ultimately, the contract for the preliminary planning phase was awarded to the internationally renowned architectural firm Populous.
The appointment of Populous marks the start of the project’s next phase. The planning team will now develop the conceptual and technical foundations required for the realization of the multifunction arena.
Proporjekt has been supporting the project since November 2025 and is responsible for project management jointly with IFS.
The Frankfurt Multipurpose Arena is designed to accommodate approximately 15,000 visitors and will be used for sporting events as well as concerts, conventions, and other major events.
Mayor of Frankfurt Mike Josef said: “Frankfurt is an international city for sport and live entertainment. The Multipurpose Arena will reinforce this position and strengthen our city as a destination for major events in the long term.
“With Populous, we have gained a partner with extensive global experience in designing world-class arenas, and we look forward to benefiting from that expertise throughout this project.”
Declan Sharkey, Global Director and Senior Principal at Populous, said: “We are proud to have been appointed to provide lead design services for the exciting P-9 Arena Project in Frankfurt. This will be a state-of the-art, multi-purpose venue that will bring the best of sport and entertainment to the city.
“We look forward to bringing our global design expertise to create a world-class sustainable venue that enhances the fan and user experience for every single visitor.”
Lead design
The lead design appointment includes architectural planning, structural engineering and building services engineering for the Frankfurt Multipurpose Arena.
In addition, Populous will further develop the feasibility study completed in 2024 and address key planning, regulatory and building code matters.
The detailed architectural design and façade of the arena are not part of the current scope of work and will be developed during subsequent stages of the project.
Moritz Schneider, Managing Director of SSF, said: “Our ambition is to deliver an arena that performs exceptionally throughout its operational life.
“Achieving this requires a planning approach that prioritises quality, functionality and efficiency from the very beginning. Populous brings outstanding international arena expertise, and we are confident this experience will be a major asset in the successful delivery of the project.”
Working closely with SSF, the project management team and the specialist consultants, the design team will now begin the next stage of planning, developing the conceptual and technical foundations for the Frankfurt Multipurpose Arena in line with Service Phases 1 and 2.
This work will form the basis of a functional performance specification, which from autumn 2027 will underpin the procurement process for the project’s design-and-build contract, under which a single contractor will be responsible for both the design and construction of the arena.
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