Due to the corona, some things are currently on hold. Not just events that do not take place at all or only to a limited extent in order to avoid infections. The municipality has also postponed construction projects due to the financial situation, if not canceled completely. The new building of the Pasinger Kulturbürgerhaus on Offenbachstrasse was one of these postponed projects for months. Just a few weeks ago, the realization of the new cultural location seemed a long way off after the city treasury had vetoed its implementation in the summer. Among other things, with the argument that not far from the planned new building there is already a cultural institution in the district, the Pasinger factory. But then the U-turn: Against the votes of the AfD, the city council is now in favor of building the district cultural center without further delay.
The costs for this are just under 11.5 million euros. Paid from the fund of the “Affordable Housing and Living in Munich” program. For many, this unexpected solution was developed by the municipal department. The city, communal officer Kristina Frank (CSU) explained to the town hall politicians, has an “irrefutable obligation” to build the cultural town hall as quickly as possible. Because the Pasinger factory alone could not meet the demand. With the cultural and socio-cultural offers of the new center, however, “a contribution will be made to an attractive and livable Munich for people of all income groups and a large vacant lot will be closed”.
In addition, the new building promotes club life, since after the disappearance of the hotel at the post office and the demolition of the former head building of the historic railway system, the people of Pasing no longer have room for club meetings and the like. Frank mentions the third plus point that the former general cargo area on which the new building is to be built is in the immediate vicinity of the “Central Pasing Business Area” redevelopment area.
The new house, designed by the Munich office of Meck Architekten, is to be an eye-catcher: massive and yet elegantly designed, with a roof shape rising to the south and a brick facade that is reminiscent of the industrial architecture of the 19th century and thus of the brick look of the Pasing train station. The sculptural-looking structure offers, among other things, space for an event hall, two group rooms and two music practice rooms with adjoining rooms. Whether, as demanded by some city councils and local politicians, a photovoltaic or solar thermal system should also be installed on the roof is still being examined.
As well as the possible use of regenerative building materials or a facade greening. When the construction work starts and how long it will take until the Kulturbürgerhaus can actually be used, however, the department for culture and municipalities cannot “specify yet”. Before a possible start of construction, “the draft planning, taking into account the city council applications up to the building permit, has to be drawn up,” explains Maren Kowitz from the municipal department. And experience shows that this takes two to three years.