Anhalt-Arena

The building on Robert-Bosch-Straße stands where a factory floor once lay. The roofline is not a stadium arch but a row of steel trusses, and the facade is clad in pale metal sheets that catch the light differently depending on the hour. There is no grand entrance hall; the doors open directly onto the concrete forecourt, and the signs are simple rectangles of red and white. The MDCC-Arena is an older structure that has been adapted rather than a new build designed for sport.

Inside, the geometry is strict. The pitch is cut from the concrete floor, a rectangle defined by white lines rather than a natural surface. The stands rise on all four sides in tiers of grey plastic seats, and there is nothing to obstruct the view from one corner to the other. The roof is held up by a grid of steel pillars, and the lighting is bright and even, casting no shadows across the playing area. It is a space built for visibility, where the acoustics of a large crowd are trapped by the hard surfaces and the high ceiling. The air inside feels different from the outside; it is warmer and carries the sound of squeaking shoes and bouncing balls.

It is a reminder of the local history that has accumulated around the building, separate from the modern construction of the arena itself. The building does not announce itself as a temple of football; it is a functional space, a hall that has been given a new purpose.