It is an end to the motto “stop somewhere” in the Bavarian state parliament. Somewhere and somehow, State Parliament President Ilse Aigner (CSU) used these words often on Wednesday when she talked about the reception of visitors to the Maximilianeum so far, about their arrival in parliament. Things will be different in the future.
Aigner presented the new visitor foyer, which was completed in time for the state elections after a good two years of construction. Not only the schedule, but also the budget of around ten million euros was adhered to. “Modern, open, safe,” said Aigner, “finally we can welcome our guests with dignity – a new entrance to the Maximilianeum and thus to the place of political debate and decision-making in Bavaria.” Around 60,000 people a year – excluding a pandemic dip – visit the Maximilianeum: school classes, groups from MPs’ constituencies and the like. “Demand continues unabated,” it said.
In the future, guests will come straight into the foyer via the west gate. Last summer, the President gave the state parliament press a tour of a construction site. Back then, one could hardly imagine what was being built here: a friendly hall with oak fittings, and a mushroom-like column in the middle as a meeting point. A semicircle on the walls becomes a screen where visitors are supposed to be prepared for their visit in an “emotional and informative” way. It certainly has a cinematic atmosphere in terms of images and sound. At the opening there were animated films about, among other things, how parliament and democracy work – “what we do all day,” Aigner summed it up.
The mushroom-like column in the middle of the hall with oak fixtures serves as a meeting point. The semicircle on the walls becomes a canvas.
(Photo: Stefan Obermeier/Image Archive of the Bavarian State Parliament)
The foyer should be “inviting” and should not be located just anywhere, “but in the middle of this magnificent building”. Just as the parliament travels to the people of the Free State with the “Landtruck”, a mobile stage, the reception in the state parliament should “create an understanding of political processes, arouse enthusiasm and thus make democracy tangible”. In the future, MPs could also use the projectors and the walls individually for films.
Several modernization measures are currently underway in the Maximilianeum, which is challenging parallel to parliamentary operations and in a building that is more than 160 years old. The plenary hall – which is located directly above the new visitors’ foyer – is currently being brought up to speed, including technology for voting, lighting, acoustics and ventilation. Its new roof is already finished. A basic renovation of building technology and energy will take a few more years, especially in the cellars and catacombs. The completely renovated state parliament should be completed in 2027.