Ratiopharm Arena

The Ratiopharm Arena in Neu-Ulm is not a football ground. Europastraße 25 is the address. The space is defined by movement and configuration. The playing surface is not fixed grass but a layer of parquet that sits on top of concrete. It can be swapped for PVC when the event is not basketball. The capacity shifts with the requirements of the sport. For Basketball Bundesliga games, the seating is reduced to fit the television cameras and the broadcast standards. For volleyball, the configuration changes again.

The interior is functional. There are hospitality boxes along the sides, glassed in to separate the guests from the noise of the crowd. The floor is coated with a polyurethane layer to prevent slipping. The arena is used for handball and boxing as well, though the layout is most associated with basketball. It opened in late 2011, a relatively new structure in the region. The building is not a landmark for architecture but a practical facility for indoor sport.