Set within a clearing in Frankfurt’s city forest on the site of a former racecourse, the new DFB Campus brings together the German Football Association’s administration, academy, press, and advanced training facilities in one complex. Kadawittfeldarchitektur conceived the campus as more than a headquarters, creating a living environment for athletes, coaches, journalists, and administrators.
Sports as architecture
The design positions the campus as an extension of its natural setting. Rather than a collection of separate buildings, the programme sits beneath a single long-span roof, framing football pitches and open-air courtyards as part of the architecture. This blend of building and landscape creates a calm, focused environment for training and learning. Visual connections between indoor and outdoor areas keep football at the centre of campus life.
A building like a city
The project is organised around a north–south sports boulevard, a broad glazed spine running the full length of the building. This boulevard acts as both circulation and social hub, lined with informal meeting places where staff and athletes can pause, watch training, and exchange ideas. At its southern end, it links to the administrative and press areas, fan shop, and visitor facilities; to the north, it connects to the academy, athletes’ accommodation, medical and physiotherapy suites, indoor arenas, and multipurpose halls. The roof rises and falls to create a sequence of interior squares and streets that recall movement through a small city.
Interior identity: united in diversity
Administration spaces use warm tones and refined materials, while sports zones adopt bolder surfaces and colours to reflect dynamism. Across all areas, elements such as seamless sports flooring and perforated plasterboard ceiling panels tie the programme together. Coffee bars in shades of green provide informal hubs within the workplace, while athletes’ accommodation prioritises comfort and individuality, with each bedroom entrance marked by a distinct colour.
Training, innovation, and community
Beyond offices and meeting rooms, the campus integrates innovative facilities for the national teams and youth programmes: gyms, physiotherapy suites, medical surgeries, and a sports science lab. Three natural grass pitches are joined by a UEFA-compliant indoor football arena with running track, spectator boxes, and stands, as well as a flexible multipurpose hall for training sessions or large events. With 540 workspaces, athletes’ housing, education zones, and public-facing functions, the DFB Campus operates as both headquarters and academy.
