Tomorrow marks the official start of the 2006 World Cup, and it isn't difficult to see why FIFA, football's soccer's professional governing body, chose Munich, Germany, to host this year's opening ceremonies and match. The city's 69,000-seat soccer stadium, Allianz Arena, will stage six major matches at the World Cup, the month-long 64-game competition — of the world's most popular sport (everywhere but in the United States) — that draws the second-largest TV audience in the world after the Olympics.

Yet Allianz Arena is a spectacle itself.

Finished in April 2005, the cost of the construction itself ran to €286 million (euros), but financing costs raised that figure to a total of €340 million. As well, the city and state incurred approximately €210 million for area development and infrastructure improvements.

Munich's unique Allianz Arena is arguably one of the finest in Europe, and its idiosyncratic exterior sets it apart from any other. The orb-like structure consists of 2,874 ethylene tetrafloroethylene (ETFE) foil panels, which are self cleaning and can be separately illuminated to different colors — red, white or blue light — depending on the teams in action. Roller blinds installed under the roof may be drawn during games to provide protection from the sun.

Within a few months of opening day, the distinctive shape of the Allianz Arena had inspired the nickname Schlauchboot ("dinghy"), by which it is now commonly known, according to Wikipedia. (Further, Allianz group, a large financial services provider, bought the rights to name the arena for 30 years; nonetheless, it will be known as "FIFA World Cup Stadium Munich" during the 2006 World Cup, as FIFA does not allow sponsorship of stadium names.)

Total capacity undercover is 69,901, including Executive boxes and business seats, with a total of 66,000 seats. Then there is Schlauchboot's automated access system: it can admit those 69,000 fans in an hour and a half, funnel supporters (e.g., hooligans) of opposing teams to separate sections, track occupancy of those sections in real time, block tickets in the event of theft or loss, and regulate turnstiles to ensure orderly exits.

But what does it take exactly to build such a spectacular structure? What of the nuts and bolts? Herewith are some facts regarding the industrial and construction side of the 2006 World Cup's home base:

Stadium and Esplanade Structure
• Concrete used in stadium: approx. 120,000 m3
• Steel used in stadium: approx. 22,000 t
• Foundations: 180t, loading up to 1,500 t
• 350 inclined supporting pillars, 50 to each level
• Supporting pillars (cross-section: 65 cm, length: 6 m) have maximum bearing load of 10,000 kN (~1,000 t)
• External façade (under inflated panels):
o Area: approx. 12,000 m², glazed area: approx. 5,000 m²

• Internal façade (Business Club): area -- approx. 350 m², glazed area approx. 300 m²
• Executive boxes: area -- approx. 3,000 m2, glazed area: approx. 2,000 m2
• Tiers: 2,446 pre-cast elements; 3,985 stair elements laid on terraces; 132, 000 drill holes for the 66,000 seats
• Esplanade (4 car parks each on 4 levels):
Frame construction (supports and bracing beams)
o Floor area: 270,000 m²
o Concrete: 85.000 m³
o Steel: 14.000 t
o Structural steel: 1.400 t
o Promenade (asphalted main connecting level)
o Area: 28,000 m² floor area with 8,50 m ceilings
o 1,033 pre-cast sections on 128 pillars and 88 load bearing points
o External circumference: approx. 1,200 m

Façade
• 2,874 rhomboidal inflated ETFE foil panels form the 66,500 m² roof and façade
• Biggest membrane shell in the world

• Data on the ETFE foil (Ethylene Tetrafluoro-ethylene):
o Thickness: 0.2 mm
o Weight: 350 g/ m²
o Longitudinal/transverse tensile strength: 52/52 N/mm²
o Longitudinal/transverse tensile stress at 10 percent elongation: 21/21 N/mm²
o Longitudinal/transverse elongation at breaking point: 600/600 percent
o UV permability: 95 percent
o Visible light permability: 93 percent
o Color: transparent (roof area), translucent white (rest of façade)

• 1,380 non-standard panels:
o Total area: 7.6 to 40.7 m²
o Length: approx 3 to 10 m
o Maximum width: 1.9 to approx. 4.6 m
o Maximum diagonal length: approx 17 m
o Fans keep the panels inflated at a constant pressure of 0.035 bar (maximum possible pressure 0.08 bar)
o In case of snowfall, 12 pressure-monitoring points ensure the correct pressure adjustments to allow for snow up to 1.6 m.
o Lifespan approx 25 years, non-flammable, exceptionally resistant to heat and cold, self-cleans with rain
o 19 panels at the 51.41 m level can be opened to ensure proper ventilation.
o Each of these special hydraulic panels can carry up to 8 t and has a wind pressure resistance of 22 t
o The panels are non-loadbearing

Façade Lighting
• 1,056 (of 2,760) illuminated panels (in white, red or blue)
• Total area lit: 25,500 m²
• 4,250 individual lights
• Each panel has 4 identical lights (installed in pairs between two lens shaped panels)
• 25,344 long-life fluorescent tubes with a lifespan of 8,000 hours
• Total power: approx. 1.47 MW

• Each 3.5 m long lamp unit contains 6 long-life fluorescent tubes (58W) and 3 starters
• Red, blue and transparent lenses in each unit allow colour changes
• An asymmetric parabolic mirror ensures uniform illumination of each panel - max. luminance 3000 cd/m²
• Consumption when fully lit: 506 KWh
• Façade lighting required 100 km cabling
• Electricity for the stadium is supplied by 5 transformers
• Lighting changes its color extend over two minutes to avoid incidents on the motorway
• Allianz Arena logo mounted on north and south sides:
• 12 blue and white illuminated letters each weighing 250-500 kg
• Composition: steel, tin, aluminum, transparent plastic
• Largest LED display in Europe (100,000 individual LEDs)

Roof Structure
• Total area: 38.000 m²
• Primary roof structure (60 percent):
o 48 radial main beams, approx 65 m long and weighing up to 106 t
o Total of 5,300 t S355 steel
o Secondary roof structure (cross beams, 40%)
o Forms a rhomboidal 'steel net' within which the panels are supported
o In the form of rectangular tubing 180 mm x 180 mm x 5-16 mm
o Total of 3,400 t S355 steel
o 50 m high free floating construction
o Maximum load bearing stress, own weight plus full load of snow at center: 5,000 kN (~ 500 t)
o Maximum load bearing stress at edge: 3,300 kN (~ 300 t)
o Deflection under load at edge with full snow load and wind: 55 cm
o Roof panels have a transparent inner surface
o Retractable internal roof (blind and theatre usage) opened and closed by 51 electric motors

Pitch Playing Field
• Dimensions:
o Playing surface = 68 m x 105 m
o Total surface = 72 m x 111 m
o Surface area of 8,000 m²

• Dimensions per lawn-roll: 2.2 m x 15 m
• Weight per lawn-roll: 1.2 t
• Depth per lawn-roll: 30 mm thick "Power Turf"
• Playing surface: 0.5 percent incline toward center
• Growth: Firm roots in 14 days, initial roots after two days, immediately playable
• Bedding layer: 30-70 cm gravel forming a 4,500 m² frost-free gravel bedding
• Foundations: 10 cm drainage layer (sand), heating pipes, 13 cm lower turf-bearing layer, 9 cm upper turf-bearing layer
• Drainage (seepage pipes): 14 drains each measuring 111 m, 100 mm diameter, total length two kilometers
• Under-soil heating: Pipes 3.2 cm diameter, total length 27 kilometres, three isolated tubes per distributor, manual and automatic temperature control range 35-50 °C, pressure at 1 bar

Hydraulic Pitch Field Entrance
• Arched zinc galvanized steel construction
• Operation: toggle lever mechanism – Opening travel: 2,300 mm in 11 seconds
• Width at Field: 2.50 m
• Height at Field: 2.10 m
• Controlled by 'dead man's handle' and warning lights in players tunnel
• Additional: emergency exits (swing door) and buffers

IT Network and Telephony
• Double safety feed connected to different access points (normal access plus back-up access)
• Network access up to 99.99 percent (FIFA requirement) = 52 minutes downtime/year
• One network for all services (telephone, server, video, etc.)
• 6,000 ports in the network
• Redundant (high availability) cabling
• Triple structure (primary, secondary and tertiary)
• Network access up to 99.99 percent (FIFA requirement) = 6 minutes downtime/year
• All services via cable access
• Permanent cabling throughout
• Two distributor areas (al with back-up) in the Arena East and West
• Services available vie the Arena network:
• Voice over IP (VoIP) telephony
• Ticket counter system & cashless system
• Stadium access and ticketing
• Car parking
• Video and in-house technology
• Other IP services for box holders and third parties
• Almost total WiFi coverage with standards a/b/g

Electrical Data
• Available power: 12 MW from two separate sub-stations
• Additional battery storage for all safety, sound and control systems
• Power and data distribution: approx. 4,000,000 cables
• Switching cabinets: assembled at approx. 750 m
• Total of approx. 68,000 lighting units provide atmosphere and safety
• Main system: further approx. 20,000 centrally controlled data points (nodes)

...And none of this includes the façade lighting; dressing/locker rooms; media and executive boxes; stairwells; heating, air conditioning, ventilation and sanitation; stadium access (entrance, exits, turnstiles, counters, et. al); video walls and acoustics; floodlighting; fire prevention and safety; or parking.