For such an amphitheater is built so that the people may impress themselves... The simplicity of the oval is tangible for all eyes in the most agreeable manner, with every head serving as a measure to how awesome the entirety is. (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)

Since the acclaimed successful modernization of the Olympic Stadium in Berlin at the very latest, the Hamburg architectural team of the architects von Gerkan, Marg und Partner has established itself in the public eye as specialists in the field of sports-arena construction. Three soccer stadiums in Germany-the spectacular RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne, the Stadion der Freundschaft in Cottbus, and the new Commerzbankarena in Frankfurt-as well as a whole series of new buildings in the Arab Gulf States, north Africa, or China have set new standards around the world. They clearly show that gmp is of outstanding importance worldwide in this special branch of design. With many plans and color illustrations, this monograph presents all of gmp's most recent sports stadiums, as well as those currently under construction. It also sheds new light on this type of building, with its long tradition reaching back to antiquity.