Gamechanger

Spectacle

In August 2024, Germany’s first surf park, SURFTOWN MUC, opened in Hall­berg­moos, near Munich Airport.

SURFTOWN MUC offers a sporting, social and tech­no­lo­gical spec­tacle that sets new stan­dards in sports and leisure archi­tec­ture. The project combines modern tech­no­logy, sustainable concepts and flexible use of space into a versa­tile faci­lity that appeals to both profes­sio­nals and leisure surfers.

At the core of the complex is a 10,000 m² pool with an impres­sive length of 180 metres. The water depth is 2.65 metres and decreases towards the edge of the pool. With the help of a pneu­matic chamber system that converts excess pres­sure into wave energy, precisely programmed waves with a height between 30 cm and over two metres can be gene­rated here.

The pool is provided by Myrtha Pools, and the lagoon is the result of a tech­no­lo­gical part­ner­ship between Myrtha and Endless Surf. The project aims to make this Olympic sport possible under ideal trai­ning and compe­ti­tion condi­tions, even where there is no coast nearby.

The perfect wave

The combi­na­tions of the wave cham­bers and the pool shape enable indi­vi­du­ally confi­gurable waves and, ther­e­fore, constant, predic­table condi­tions. This is precisely the decisive advan­tage over natural waves influenced by wind and curr­ents, espe­ci­ally during compe­ti­tions.

Athletes don’t have to wait for the perfect wave here – they just have to start it (or have it started for them). With adjus­table settings, both long­board and short­board sessions can be seam­lessly accom­mo­dated, simpli­fying compe­ti­tion orga­ni­sa­tion and drama­ti­cally impro­ving fair­ness for all parti­ci­pants.

SURFTOWN MUC serves as a trai­ning faci­lity for the German Surf Fede­ra­tion DWV and offers space for up to 60 athletes who can train here all year round. Further­more, in October 2024, the faci­lity hosted the German Surf Cham­pi­on­ships, where over 100 athletes show­cased their skills to an audi­ence of 10,000 spec­ta­tors.

Meeting point

The archi­tec­tural design of the faci­lity is versa­tile, inno­va­tive and func­tional. In addi­tion to the central surf pool, the area features a surfs­kate ramp, an outdoor fitness area, a child­ren’s play­ground, a beach area with sunbathing spots, and a restau­rant. This versa­tile space makes SURFTOWN MUC a vibrant hub where sport, rela­xa­tion, and social inter­ac­tion come toge­ther.

SURFTOWN MUC was planned with today’s sustaina­bi­lity requi­re­ments in mind. The faci­lity runs enti­rely on rene­wable energy, with up to 80 percent gene­rated from its own solar panels and a nearby solar park. Heating and cooling energy are provided through geothermal energy in conjunc­tion with heat pumps, while the water supply is managed through a closed-loop system using ground­water and rain­water.

Myrtha tech­no­logy and the modular stain­less steel struc­ture of the pool result in a signi­fi­cant reduc­tion in CO2 emis­sions compared to tradi­tional concrete solu­tions.

Technology

Myrt­ha’s exper­tise and expe­ri­ence in desig­ning and cons­truc­ting large free­form pools, combined with Endless Surf’s know-how in wave gene­ra­tion, made this ground­brea­king next-gene­ra­tion surf lagoon possible.

Through CFD simu­la­tion, Myrtha tech­no­logy is able to ensure perfect water flow and consis­tent disin­fec­tion of the pool water in the nearly 8,000 m² lagoon. An advanced water recir­cu­la­tion system with specia­lised intake walls (jet turbu­lence system) is used here. This solu­tion with more than 60 wall inlets elimi­nates the need for piping under the lagoon, which reduces instal­la­tion time and costs and improves water circu­la­tion.

The endless surf tech­no­logy used in the system is based on 34 pneu­matic wave cham­bers. In the A‑frame mode, waves break simul­ta­neously from the centre of the pool to the left and right, while in the point­break mode, the waves run along the entire length of the pool, allo­wing for a wave dura­tion of up to 18 seconds.