#TDS24 Guest Q&A: A new stadium for Hertha

Ahead of #TDS24 in Manchester in December, we caught up with Ursula Friedmann, Head of Dept – New Stadium at Hertha BSC GmbH & Co. Ursula is one of our VIP Guests at our 12th Design & Development Summit.

Ursi’s journey through the world’s biggest stadiums began as a professional track & field runner. She is now Head of the new stadium construction department at Hertha BSC. She has a degree in Sports Economics and is a Certified Safety Manager. Her wide-ranging expertise spans 25 years in professional sports and covers various facets of the field, with hands-on experience in security management, crowd control, fan journey design and match day operations. In recent years, her focal points have encompassed strategic feasibility studies, project management, change management and construction management.

Beyond her operational role, Ursi is a member of Hertha BSC’s Sustainability Board, actively engaging in matters pertaining to the club’s economic and ecological development, reorganization, and new construction. Her multifaceted skills continue to shape the landscape of sports and stadium management at Hertha BSC.

TheStadiumBusiness: What are the most exciting developments in the field of venue design/development? or What are the key drivers behind your project?

Ursula Friedmann: Urban design is front and centre, with a particular focus on stronger integration into the urban context. Future Places Studio, in their Sport & The City—Stadiums Report, captured the relevance of urban design so well: “Sports stadiums are a vital piece of a city’s social and cultural infrastructure. With inspiring architectural designs that sit proudly on a city’s skyline, stadiums have become like modern-day cathedrals to the many millions who pour into them on a weekly basis across the globe.”

In our building construction, there is a shift towards sustainability and recycling (material, after the usage cycle), zero-energy buildings, photovoltaics, water management, and efficient waste management systems. We have also drawn inspiration from the stadiums in Paris, which allow for multiple or temporary uses, as well as transportability. Looking at The Eurovision Song Contest 2025, which will be held in Basel, we see creative joint-use concepts.

In general, my impression is that stadiums are becoming more places of action again after the high of pure commercialization—more qualitative, more sustainable, and more hybrid.

TDS: What’s in the pipeline for Hertha BSC over the next six to 12 months?

Plenty! We anticipate the expert commission’s favorable decision in favor of a specific plot of land in Olympiapark Berlin. We will submit a preliminary building inquiry in accordance with §34 BauGB (building in the inner city area), and there will be negotiations on the leasehold agreement. The neighborhood and the public will be involved: “How/what can a new stadium contribute to the development of the district + neighborhood?”. We will be looking at possible operator constellations. And there is the development of an adapted masterplan for the Olympiapark that integrates a new stadium and the possible bid for the Olympic Games (2036/2040).

TDS: What are you most looking forward to about the Design & Development Summit 2024?

I am looking forward to meeting again the people who are at home in the world of stadiums, building culture, design, operations, and sports worldwide. The Design & Development Summit 2024 provides a fantastic platform to exchange ideas and learn from leading stadium design, construction, and fan engagement experts.

I am keen to see how other organizations are dealing with innovations in areas such as sustainability, smart stadium technology, and fan experience design. It’s an excellent opportunity to get inspiration and discover new solutions that might be applied to our own projects.

See who else will be joining us to explore next-gen spaces for sports and entertainment at #TDS24 here.

Explore the future of stadium design with Ursula Friedmann and hundreds of other venue sector leaders, exclusively at #TDS24 at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester on December 2-4.