The Allianz Arena in Munich by Herzog & de Meuron will be the centre of the global attention today when it plays host to the inaugural match of the 2006 World Cup between Germany and Costa Rica.
Built at a cost of £234m to a strict timetable of just 30 months, the 66,000-seater stadium is covered in ETFE sheeting that is translucent around the sides and transparent on the roof. Its futuristic look also comes from hundreds of inflatable cushions of Covertex, a high-tech polymer. It reflects light, and at night the stadium is lit up successively in red, white and blue to represent the owning clubs' colours.
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