There are stimulating words to which Ralf Büschl reacts reliably. Some of them will also fall that evening, “concrete gold” for example. Büschl wants to grow two more than 150 meter high houses next to the former parcel post hall on Arnulfstrasse. Because not everyone likes the idea, the city has initiated a citizens’ report. This started on Thursday, with a digital exchange where everyone could post questions and comments about the project, even anonymously. “Neuhauser Betongold-Mine”: The term appeared quite early in the chat, which Büschl, 64, did not want to leave uncommented. “Concrete gold has nothing to do with height. Concrete gold could also be made in an eight-story building. This is all just very simple polemics, it has nothing to do with reality.”
Opinion or already an attack? Factual objection or excessive criticism? The general mood showed how emotionally the high-rise debate is being conducted – on both sides. Fundamental critics and supporters are irreconcilable. It can’t be otherwise, because ultimately there are only two possible answers to the question of whether Munich should grow even more at this point: yes or no. A compromise is out of the question, which means that the city’s most exciting architectural project at the moment has a fundamental character: How close Büschl can get to the sky could generally clarify how high Munich is aiming in the future.
High-rise or nothing – why it comes to this escalation in this case was explained again. On the one hand from Büschl, who stated: “You keep seeing the statement: ‘The investor only makes the high-rise buildings for economic reasons.’ If there were economic reasons, then we would definitely not make high-rise buildings. High-rise buildings are much more expensive than low-rise buildings. No, the investor does this because he perceives it to be right in terms of urban planning, for the location and for the city.
On the other hand, from the ambassadors from the architects’ office Herzog & de Meuron, who presented an example calculation: In the future, a residential density such as Maxvorstadt, Schwabing or Sendling will be allowed and aimed for in the area. However, the parcel post hall, which is a listed building and is intended to remain freely accessible to the public, takes up 20,000 square meters. In order for the calculation to work out, the architects believe that, in addition to a few six-story residential blocks, something even higher must be built. Eight 60-meter-high buildings, for example – or a tower 250 meters high.
Investor Ralf Büschl.
(Photo: Florian Peljak)
The first variant would hardly have given the area any character, the second would have exploded all imaginable dimensions in Munich: This resulted in the present variant of two 150-meter-high towers, each of which – after a revision – now has a sloping elevator on the outside leaning on, which leads to the top floors, which should also be accessible to non-residents. One tower is to be crowned by a beer garden, its twin by an as yet undefined “city laboratory”.
The aesthetics of the planned building was not an issue in the group on Thursday. It was about the basics – and details. Büschl was asked whether he might not want to reveal to the public how much he had paid the post office for the property. He didn’t want to. “These are trade secrets. (…) In my opinion, it is completely irrelevant for this entire process. What is relevant is: What should be created there? Is that good for the city? Is that something that helps people, what the city what brings the district forward? “
Angular and high with ajar lifts to the top floors accessible to the public, next to the wide curved roof of the parcel post hall: In the Plantreff in Blumenstrasse 31, a wooden model of the planned high-rise buildings can be viewed Tuesday to Friday between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
(Photo: Stephan Rumpf)
There are currently plans for things that are supposed to bring further: the home of a fixed cultural institution in the basement of the former parcel post hall; Concert hall included. In the huge hall itself there should be different zones in which different uses are possible. The key words were: “Weekly market, flower show, music festival, art fair, cinema.” But also: “Snowboard, BMX, volleyball, ice rink.” Inquiries about the noise pollution for the residents and the lecture of a traffic planner gave an idea of the dimensions in which these events could move.
The area should be able to accommodate up to 10,000 visitors without creating a crowd on the paths or creating traffic jams in front of the entrances to the underground car parks. And of course nothing of the hustle and bustle in the hall can be heard during normal operation, but “once, twice, or three times a year” it can get louder, according to the architects, who believe the hall in which long letters were sorted could be to become a “destination of national standing”.
How the area at the parcel post hall will be built on will ultimately be decided by the Munich City Council. Before that happens, however, the citizens must first be asked. The city council decided in January to initiate a “citizens’ report”. This was opened on Thursday with a digital event with more than a hundred participants, in which the current status of the master plan that the investor Ralf Büschl had drawn up by the Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron was informed in a good four hours. At the event, more than 280 questions were asked via chat. The topics they touch on are to be included in the citizens’ report as well as the topics that will be addressed at a round table, which is also planned for this month and at which experts and representatives of Munich’s urban society will meet. The actual citizens’ report consists of four so-called “planning cells”. In them, 100 Munich residents, determined by a random sample from the population register, discuss controversial questions of the master plan. Care is taken to ensure that the hundred represent a cross-section of urban society and come from all districts. The planning cells should meet in October. In December of this year, her so-called “Citizens’ Report” should be available, which will form the basis for the decision of the City Council, according to City Building Councilor Elisabeth Merk (SPD), who for the entire area in the west of Munich with a “planning and construction time of five to ten years “reckons. SZ
Apartments from 50 meters high are planned in the two towers. Even those that meet the requirements of socially just land use (Sobon) and even exceeded them, as Büschl hastened to insure again. In addition, what is not prescribed is planned in the care sector. Of course, all of this only comes if he is allowed to build the towers that are to be primed below the 50 meter mark for a hotel and offices.
The discussion about which lines of sight might be impaired by the new buildings remains exciting. It became clear how easily the perspective can also be reversed – with a drone photo, for example, how magnificently the Nymphenburg Palace can be viewed from the lofty heights, where “probably the highest beer garden in the world” is planned.
Because the entire area is virtually encircled by six S-Bahn, three U-Bahn, two tram and six bus lines, hardly any investments are required to connect to local public transport. Urban planner Andreas Uhmann said that only one of the feeder routes was still being worked on. Even which trees should grow where (pine with wisteria in one area, alder with hops in another) has already been sketched. There is no lack of detailed planning, but the principle “Go”. To this, however, investor Ralf Büschl admitted defiantly: “There will be no dark glass towers. These are claims that are made to make these skyscrapers look terrible and threatening. We will refute this claim by building them.”