There are now two Signal Iduna Parks, at least if you approach BVB’s stadium from the north. One real one made out of stone, impressive, almost monumental – and one mirroring in the window facade of Borussia Dortmund new service centre at the north-west corner of the club’s football temple.

BVB FanWelt is ready! It will officially open its doors to the public on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. It’s the “new epicentre of Borussia Dortmund,” according to Carsten Cramer, BVB’s Director of Sales and Marketing. At the topping out ceremony earlier this year, the club’s CFO, Thomas Tress, said: “This building is a milestone in the history of Borussia Dortmund.”

The construction rests on massive concrete pillars and a massive steel structure on the upper floor, wrapped up with an elegant exterior, with lightweight looking materials, above all glass. Structurally, BVB FanWelt offers “for the first time a chance to show the dimensions of the brand without any restrictions,” says Cramer. Above all, however, the new service centre has soul.

Seeing this new venue is the first ‘wow’ moment (see above). Inside, it’s a huge black and yellow wonderland on an area of more than 2,000 square metres.  For the first time, all fan-related services of the club can be found under one roof - from ticketing and merchandizing to travel, from membership to football school, from Strom09 and Mobil09 to BVBtotal! “Here we are able satisfy every wish a BVB fan might have,” says Cramer.

To make a long story short - the new service centre offers everything from and about BVB, and everything under one roof. It’s a new fixed-star in the black and yellow space.

Its advantage is that it’s a one-stop to buy, meet, talk and connect – a meeting place for all ‘Borussen’. “The fans no longer have to rush around to get things done,” says Cramer. And they no longer need to go to BVB’s headquarters or cram into the way too small August-Lenz-Haus building. BVB FanWelt is easy to reach, with direct access to the stadium – and the B1 highway. No more parking hassles as plenty of convenient spots are offered.

As a positive side effect, the new service centre has taken some pressure off other locations which have been given a visual upgrade. Moving all fan services into BVB FanWelt has opened up new opportunities, for example in front of the North Stand where the fan shop is now separated from the visitors’ stand, while the clearing containers have been removed to make room for additional turnstiles and much needed VIP special entrances. 

The megastores in Hörde and Artrion have been moved into the new service centre, while the club’s headquarters at Rheinlanddamm will now be used exclusively as an administrative building. Not far from it, to the west, BVB FanWelt is harnessing the momentum Borussia’s fans are used from their team. What is good at Signal Iduna Park can’t possibly be bad at BVB FanWelt, can it?