A solid majority for Event Arena, but also hardened fronts: That's how the historic city council meeting went

Created: 04/07/2022, 19:00

By: Andreas Beschorner

The circular arena designed by London architects POPULOUS emerged as the winner.

The jury emphasized that the design corresponded best to the required multifunctionality.

© Beschorner

The Freising city council voted with a large majority for the concert and congress hall at the airport.

The fronts are hardened, however.

Freising

– There were the questions of the approval process and the way to the winning design.

But there were also initial assessments of traffic and the criteria of sustainability and climate compatibility.

Four important issues that were at the center of the reports and discussion at the special session of the city council on the multifunctional concert and congress arena (MUCcc) on Wednesday.

The planning suits MUC as a hub

City director Gerhard Koch and city architect Barbara Schelle opened the round of those who were invited and required to say something about the major project: As Koch explained, the area is in the airport priority area.

And that's why the determination of the supreme state planning - i.e. the Ministry of Economic Affairs - is important, the planned concert arena is consistent with it, because such an arena also belongs to an international hub.

This means that, as Koch explained, there is no need for a so-called target deviation procedure.

However, the city director emphasized, it was not possible to have the project approved via the Air Traffic Act, because the airport-related part of the concert arena was then too small.

Conclusion: "It's only about the municipal planning sovereignty" - in other words: about a building management procedure and the approval of the city.

As Schelle emphasized, the development plans valid for the area and the land use plan must also be changed as a result.

The project does not contradict the regional plan because regional green spaces would not be affected.

And sticking to it: the city of Freising and the airport should not grow together.

The way to the winning design

It was 25 members of the jury who decided what the concert and congress center should look like.

Jury chairman Markus Allmann explained the multi-stage architectural competition, in the course of which four designs had to be judged.

The following were invited to participate: asp Architekten GmbH Stuttgart, gmp International GmbH Hamburg, HKS Architects Limited London and POPULOUS Architects Limited London.

In the end, the jury voted in favor of the planning report by the architects POPULOUS Architects, London, with Latz + Partner Landscape Architects (Kranzberg).

In addition to the overall best architectural concept, the convincing sustainability and climate concept was decisive for the decision.

The design uses space sparingly, and the entire arena roof is equipped with a PV system.

First statements on traffic

It is arguably the topic that has been, and is likely to be, the most debated when it comes to MUCcc: traffic, congestion and development.

An initial report, which should first of all clarify in principle whether the concert arena is possible at this point, comes from the two specialist offices Obermeyer Infrastructure GmbH & Co. KG and Intraplan Consult GmbH.

Helmuth Ammerl from the Obermeyer office was connected virtually on Wednesday and presented what had been determined so far.

As Ammerl reported, because they had "calculated honestly", Thursday was taken as the day with the highest traffic volume at the moment and one of the mega concerts that attracted around 20,000 visitors was scheduled for it (although they mostly took place on weekends).

On the way to the event arena: the investors convinced a large majority of the city council of their project.

© SWMUNICH/Populous

The result: the expected traffic volume between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on a Thursday is still below the peak hour in the morning.

The special session on Event Arena lasted almost four hours.

Due to the explosive nature of the topic, there were also many listeners in the Luitpoldhalle.

© Beschorner

As far as the connection to public transport is concerned, the arena is well connected, especially if there is the Erdinger Ringschluss, a stop for the ÜFEX and the second main route.

Ammerl admitted that the FS 44/FS 45 junction, which is important for the city of Freising, has not yet been examined in detail, but will of course be done in the future.

However, Ammerl emphasized that when car traffic starts for a concert, the peak load at this hub is already over.

The parking space concept is decentralized, as in addition to the new multi-storey car park, the existing parking spaces in the western airport area can be used in the evening.

Sustainability and climate compatibility

Transsolar Energietechnik GmbH from Munich is to ensure that the MUCcc becomes the first climate-neutral concert arena in Germany.

Stefan Holst came to explain that the materials chosen, the thermal shell, the thermal insulation, the PV system on the roof of the arena, the avoidance of fossil fuels, the use of heat pumps and the purchase of green electricity together with the electricity produced in-house a climate-neutral concert and congress center is guaranteed.

And they continue to work on an independent concert arena climate strategy.

The debate in the city council: the pro

"I'm thrilled." That's how the parliamentary group leader of the Freisinger Mitte (FSM),

, opened the debate.

Fiedler reminded that other cities are also trying to get this concert arena - Hallbergmoos, Erding and Munich, for example.

For him it is therefore clear: "This hall will be built" - and if not on Freisinger Grund, then maybe only a few hundred meters further.

Then you have the same effects and possible disadvantages.

But then, according to Fiedler, the city would not have a say in the planning, but would have to forego all the advantages.

It would be "hasty and negligent" not to initiate the investigations and building management procedures.

"We mustn't let this opportunity pass us by," is Fiedler's credo.

And because the future of Freising is at stake, Fiedler requested a roll-call vote and promised not to get on a plane after the concert arena was built to see and hear one of the big bands in London or anywhere else.

Peter Warlimont and Andreas Mehltretter

also took a clear position on behalf of the SPD in favor of MUCcc: the location is favorable without being close to residential buildings.

Construction and operation correspond to the highest standards in terms of air conditioning, the expected traffic load is "quite reasonable", there are no indications of special machines at the MUC, the arena also offers "only advantages" from an economic point of view, means a strengthening for the hotel and catering industry in Freising, is " a great opportunity” and a “welcome gain for cultural life”.

Important for Warlimont: one should not base one's approval of this concert and congress center on what attitude someone has to the third runway.

The multifunctional concert and congress hall MUCcc could go into operation in five years.

Before that, however, two years of planning work have to be done.

© SWMUNICH/Populous

Jens Barschdorf

, FDP lone fighter on the city council, spoke of an important private-sector project.

The fact that the Greens in Munich are in favor of such an arena, but are against it here, is not a clean argument.

The fact that the concert arena is in competition with the Lindenkeller or the Luitpoldhalle are “absurd arguments”.

Pretexts would be sought to convert an "ideological rejection" into a pseudo-objective no.

He only sees advantages for the city - from a larger range of cultural activities to trade tax revenue.

And that's why he voted "yes with the utmost conviction".

FW and CSU also voted yes, but did not comment in the discussion.

The debate in the city council: the contra

Airport and environmental officer

(Greens) was the first speaker to speak out against the project: It all sounds “very wonderful”, but some documents were still missing.

He sees many disadvantages and few advantages.

Drobny warned that it was not yet possible to say anything about the traffic load at congresses, which were held during the day, and that also applies to the parking spaces that are still available.

The climate protectors of the Freisinger Fridays-for-Future group had called for a vigil in front of the Luitpoldhalle.

Opponents of the project fear negative effects on the environment and the region.

© Beschorner

And as far as sustainability and climate compatibility are concerned, one should not assume that the event arena will be built as a run-of-the-mill construction in order to claim climate compatibility.

"Actually," says Drobny, "you have to make a comparison with the zero variant."

Greens parliamentary group spokeswoman

recalled the Agenda 21 process, STEP 2030, the mobility concept decided in 2018, the climate offensive decided in 2021 and the city's statement on the partial update of the LEP.

Her conclusion: the concert and congress arena project contradicts each of these concepts and resolutions.

“What is the half-life of our decisions?” asked Günther.

Or are they just “Sunday speeches”?

And: "When will we stop this madness and act responsibly for the future of our children?"

Charlotte Reitsam

spoke of a "prestige object", Günther of an "elitist project" that hardly anyone in Freising could afford. Her colleague Werner Habermeyer emphasized that the need for him had not been proven.

Contra also came from the council members of the ÖDP:

doubted the need.: "Do you really want a second city of Freising" on the airport site?" You don't.

Freising will not benefit from this.

She also doesn't believe the statements about the traffic load: "They come by car or fly."

demanded that the peak hour between 8 and 9 a.m. should be examined when traffic is heavy anyway and congresses are also coming up.

(By the way: everything from the region is now also available in our regular Freising newsletter.)

Hartmut Binner

said he would be "sad" about an approval, if this would undermine the previously successful defense against the third runway. There was no need for this arena and of course it should serve as a further justification for the construction of the runway.

And the Freising Left?

emphasized that the concert arena has a lot to do with the airport but almost nothing to do with Freising.

The study on the economic effects, which predicts a gross value added of 120 million euros per year, is "absolutely meaningless" and "partly very dubious".

Finally, Guido Hoyer

emphasized that nobody could deny a connection with air traffic.

The "priority goal" is climate protection, since arguments such as trade tax revenue and other things are "far behind".