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Flagship sports venue for Leverkusen

With a diameter of 217 meters, the Makrolon® roof of the new BayArena is also an impressive sight after dark.

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With a diameter of 217 meters, the Makrolon® roof of the new BayArena is also an impressive sight after dark.

After a 20-month renovation phase, the BayArena soccer stadium in Leverkusen re-opened its gates in mid-August. Featuring three new upper tiers, the completely modernized stadium now offers seating for more than 30,000 spectators.

At the same time, the media, team and physio areas along with the restaurant and boxes were significantly enlarged. All functional areas now meet the highest international standards. The stadium’s most spec- tacular showpiece is its new roof. The 28,000 square-meter covering of Makrolon® sheeting is supported by a discus-shaped steel cable construction.

The BayArena thus boasts the biggest stadium roof ever constructed from this high-tech plastic supplied by Bayer MaterialScience. The anti-corrosion coating for the steel support structure is based on polyurethane raw materials from the same company. Bayer AG Management Board Chairman Werner Wenning emphasized the fact that the renovation was carried out without public funding and that Bayer had invested heavily in the project. “Our soccer team is an important image vehicle for the Bayer Group both in Germany and abroad,” he explained. In 2011, the renovated BayArena will host some of the Women’s World Cup matches.