Lanxess Arena

Lanxess Arena (originally Kölnarena, German for Cologne Arena) is an[indoor arena, in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The arena opened in 1998 and can accommodate 20,000 people. With its capacity of 18,500, it is the largest ice hockey arena outside of Canada and the United States.

It is primarily used by VfL Gummersbach (team handball), Kölner Haie (ice hockey), and as a concert venue.

The arena is spanned by a steel arch supporting the roof via steel cables. The height of the arch is 76 m (249 ft) and its weight is 480 tons.

On June 2, 2008, it was announced that Kölnarena would be renamed Lanxess Arena, for a period of ten years. The sponsor, Lanxess AG, is a specialty chemicals group based in the Lanxess Tower in Deutz, Cologne.

The arena was one of the venues for the 2010 IIHF World Championship, including both semi-finals, the Bronze medal game and the Championship game.