If you have to get older and older, then please at a four-star level. Ideally in your own four walls, but with the security of being looked after culturally, culinary and, if necessary, medically. Maybe even with the prospect of making friends and acquaintances later on, of once again establishing roots in a dignified atmosphere. The Augustinum Foundation’s senior residences try to live up to the dreams of many people over 60.
Apparently with success, the demand for the apartments in these residential complexes is high. The Munich-Neufriedenheim headquarters in the Hadern district, founded in 1962, has therefore constructed two additional buildings, Houses 6 and 7. Their opening was scheduled for this Wednesday. With lots of music, house tours and a speech by Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD).
In some of the 92 new apartments with sizes between 50 and 80 square meters, a bunch of pipes still have to be hidden under the plaster, but then the 13-story residential tower and a three-story low-rise building that is architecturally elegantly connected to it will finally be ready for occupancy. The new components of the Augustinum senior residence at Stiftsbogen were designed by Robert Meyer and Tobias Karlhuber Architects, who already left their mark on the Baumkirchen-Mitte city quarter in Munich.
On the Augustinum site in Hadern, they were required to design the structural density in such a way that shadows were avoided and the residents of neighboring buildings had a clear view of the greenery. It was also important to avoid the noise from the nearby motorway. “We made this possible with a slightly triangular wedge shape of the residential tower and special windows,” explains Tobias Karlhuber during a tour. With this variant, he and Robert Meyer prevailed in a competition.
The view extends far over the city.
(Photo: Florian Peljak)
Residents can expect an upscale gastronomy concept.
(Photo: Florian Peljak)
The Augustinum is investing 39 million euros in its new project. The barrier-free apartments, which were built over a three-year construction period, have different sizes and are designed for both couples and individuals. For a price starting at 4,700 euros, you can rent a 77 square meter apartment on the upper floors with a magnificent view of the city. Smaller ones cost from 3700 euros. Built throughout is a model bathroom that is large enough to maneuver with a walker. Also mandatory: an emergency call device next to the toilet. The outpatient care service is within reach. However, you should not bring a level of care with you when you move in. A nursing home might be a better solution.
Satisfied faces: architect Tobias Karlhuber, Christiane-Maria Rapp, director of the Augustinum Munich-Neufriedenheim, and Joachim Gengenbach, CEO of the Augustinum Group.
(Photo: Florian Peljak)
The facility’s director, Christiane-Maria Rapp, assumes that all apartments will be occupied by the end of the year. That means: 130 new residents. After that, interested parties have to wait another year or two before something becomes available – a value based on experience, not a guarantee. “Our residents generally get very old,” says Rapp, explaining the reason. In fact, the oldest resident is 108. The director, a resolute Swabian, attributes the lively demand primarily to the “trump card of comprehensive security,” which the future total of 600 residents would appreciate. Experience has shown that they remained loyal to the Augustinum for ten to 30 years in the autumn of their lives, “they really put down roots with us.”
The Augustinum advertises fine dining.
(Photo: Florian Peljak)
This could have something to do with the numerous amenities that the house in Munich-Neufriedenheim has to offer. A health-focused gastronomy concept of “upscale dining culture” is just as important as a cultural offering with concerts and lectures, its own church, park-like outdoor areas, shops and comparatively generous staffing levels. 240 people “who fit the concept” work in the facility at Stiftsbogen. Personnel needs can be addressed with the “Employees recruit employees” program.
The architect and Augustinum bosses are proud not least of the ecological accents that were set with the new buildings, partly at the suggestion of the residents. Charging stations for electric cars in the underground car park, sophisticated energy consumption controls in the buildings, a bee meadow on the roof of house 6, nesting boxes for bats on the facade – they have come up with a lot, emphasizes Joachim Gengenbach, chairman of the Augustinum management.
The man is at the head of a social empire: As a diaconal independent sponsor of 23 residential foundations (the largest is in Stuttgart) with 7,400 residents, a clinic, schools, daycare centers, facilities for the disabled and two sheltering houses for people with dementia, the Augustinum Foundation, founded in 1954, is one of them the larger players in the social fabric of the republic. As he walks over the summer meadow-green floor coverings of the brand new buildings, Gegenbach assesses the increased importance of the location: “The Munich-Friedenheim ensemble has gained greatly as a result of the expansion. A real flagship.”