page_title: Merkur Spiel-Arena
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Merkur Spiel-Arena / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Fairground of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH Deutsch: Messegelände der Messe Düsseldorf GmbH
context_page_description: Merkur Spielarena, previously known as the Esprit Arena, the LTU Arena, and as the Düsseldorf Arena, is a multi-functional football stadium in Düsseldorf, Germany. The stadium holds 54,600 and has a retractable roof. Its special heating system allows the stadium to host comfortable events at the height of winter.
context_section_description: Construction of the stadium began in 2002 and was completed in 2004. It was built to replace the former Rheinstadion at the same site near the river Rhine. The structure's initial seating capacity of 51,500 was expanded in summer 2010 when some seating areas were converted into standing terraces. The arena currently hosts association football team Fortuna Düsseldorf (currently in the first division, the Bundesliga).
caption: Aerial view of Messe Düsseldorf in District 5, including the Arena on the far left
exif: {"Image ImageWidth": "7278", "Image ImageLength": "4852", "Image BitsPerSample": "[8, 8, 8]", "Image Compression": "LZW", "Image PhotometricInterpretation": "2", "Image ImageDescription": "Duesseldorf, DEU, Luftaufnahme des Messegelaendes in Duesseldorf | Air photo of the fairground in Duesseldorf. +++ Foto: Messe Duesseldorf", "Image Make": "Canon", "Image Model": "Canon EOS 5D", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image SamplesPerPixel": "3", "Image XResolution": "500", "Image YResolution": "500", "Image PlanarConfiguration": "1", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop CS3 Macintosh", "Image DateTime": "2008:05:05 23:42:42", "Image ExifOffset": "452", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "1234", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "6357", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/200", "EXIF FNumber": "13", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Aperture Priority", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "200", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0221", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2006:07:04 23:38:25", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2006:07:04 23:38:25", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "61/8", "EXIF ApertureValue": "59/8", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "24", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "Uncalibrated", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "4134", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "2756", "EXIF FocalPlaneXResolution": "873600/283", "EXIF FocalPlaneYResolution": "1456000/471", "EXIF FocalPlaneResolutionUnit": "2", "EXIF CustomRendered": "Normal", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Manual", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard"}