He was a man with a large network, with his friends from politics, business and society he usually used the familiar “Du”. Architect Tom Ferster gave the FC Bayern headquarters in Munich the look that the entire football world knows from television broadcasts. He also shaped his homeland: with his buildings, Tom Ferster significantly influenced the image of the city of Wolfratshausen to the very end. A residential and commercial building on the Untermarkt was only recently completed, which was built according to his design in place of the former Isar department store in the middle of the old town. The architect died unexpectedly on Saturday after a short, serious illness. He was 82 years old.
With Ferster, the Loisachstadt loses its “star architect”. At least that’s what the tabloids called him. After all, the man with the striking glasses, who had been running his office in Wolfratshausen since 1972, quickly made a name for himself beyond the borders of his hometown. The projects he has completed also include the renovation of the Orlandohaus on Platzl in Munich and the FC Bayern headquarters on Säbener Strasse, of which he was particularly proud. Ferster was on first name terms with numerous prominent athletes, actors and politicians. Because he also worked for Pierre Brice, he was Picturenewspaper titled “Winnetou Architect”.
“He was a real artist of life”
In his home town, the qualified engineer was able to land almost every important project: whether it was the town hall, the Haderbräu complex or the sports center of the Isar-Loisach stadium. Some residents jokingly called their town “Fersterhausen” because he designed so many formative buildings. He also left his mark in the surrounding area, for example at the Beuerberg Golf Club. He has realized almost 3000 projects, Ferster once said, including numerous private houses and villas in the Munich commuter belt, but also in France and on Mallorca.
Ferster’s death came as a surprise to his companions. “We’re all crushed,” says lawyer Harald Mosler, who has known him well for decades and worked with him as the client’s managing director on his last project on the Untermarkt. Despite his age, Ferster was “actually super fit and fully operational”. His death is a “significant loss”, not only in relation to his architectural work. “He was a real master of life, a fundamentally positive person,” says Mosler. Even in difficult times, for example after his first wife died of cancer, Ferster always radiated joie de vivre and “always solved problems perfectly”, says Mosler. “He was a straight guy.” Fritz Schnalker, who was a city councilor for more than 25 years and knows Ferster from his work on the building committee, describes him as an “incredibly open and cheerful person”.
Ferster leaves behind his wife, a daughter and two grandchildren. The funeral service will take place on Wednesday, August 2, at 10:30 a.m. in the parish church of Sankt Andreas, followed by burial in the cemetery in Nantwein.