Eissporthalle Frankfurt

Inside, the ceiling is a web of steel trusses. The light is artificial and flat, reflecting off the white sheet of ice below. Yellow seats fill the stands, arranged in tiers that follow the curve of the rink. The boards around the ice are covered in advertising hoardings, a layer of commercial colour that changes with every season. Above the stands, banners hang from the rafters, marking the history of the teams that have called this hall home. The visible track of the ice is enclosed by high glass barriers, separating the players from the crowd.

The building is older than most modern venues. It opened in 1981, a time when Germany was investing heavily in sports infrastructure. The architects designed it to be a multi-purpose hall. Underneath the ice, the floor is parquet, laid out for concerts and other events. This duality defines the place. On some nights, the air is cold and sharp with the smell of the refrigeration plants. On others, it is warm and filled with the sound of applause for a dance competition or a rock concert. The hall has hosted everyone from international hockey teams to Prince & The Revolution, who played their first European concert here in 1986. It is a place where the boundaries between sport and entertainment are blurred. The current tenants, Löwen Frankfurt, play their home fixtures here, but the hall is open to much more than just the game. It is a community asset, standing firm in the urban landscape.