The Thomas-Wimmer-Ring has been significantly upgraded: Large trees have grown over the multi-storey car park, and park benches invite you to rest. Only the noise of the cars has remained – although the number of lanes has decreased.
The new multi-storey car park at Thomas-Wimmer-Ring has been in operation for a good year. Now the surface is finished, the design by the landscape architect office Jühling and Köppel significantly upgrades the busy ring at this point. On Wednesday, the construction company Wöhr + Bauer, which built the “Hofbräuhaus parking garage” from February 2017 to February 2021, put the converted area into operation together with city councilors and members of the district committee (BA) Altstadt-Lehel. The second completed section of the Altstadt-Radlring with cycle paths 2.30 to 2.80 meters wide also runs there.
Of course, the noise of cars, trucks and scooters has remained, even though the number of lanes has been reduced from six to four. Nevertheless, the chairwoman of the BA Altstadt-Lehel, Andrea Stadler-Bachmaier (Greens), sees a win for everyone. Because the new underground car park with 520 parking spaces has contributed to the fact that traffic looking for a parking space has decreased significantly in the district. In addition, there is the spacious green area with a total of 58 new trees, which already had a trunk circumference of 40 to 45 centimeters when they were planted.
Large trees even grow on the roof of the underground car park
The trees are small-leaved lime and Norway maple. These are so-called heart roots, which, according to Wöhr + Bauer, can also reach great heights in urban areas and get by with a root space of one and a half meters. Five years ago, the Bund Naturschutz (BN) had declared that no large trees would grow in underground car parks and, in view of the building plans, pointedly pointed out that the builders had invented a rootless tree. “The Miracle of Munich” was the ironic headline on the BN announcement at the time.
At the time, Wöhr + Bauer took the dig from the conservationists with humor and also faced the new challenges that the 2019 cycling decision brought with it. Because the minimum width of the cycle paths required adjustments to the plans. The result can be seen today. Despite the fact that the trees have been felled, there is more green than before, and walkers can sit down on new park benches in between. The deputy head of the BA, Wolfgang Püschel (SPD), also praised the design. But the local politicians are not completely satisfied. Wolfgang Püschel believes that the Isartorplatz must finally be redesigned.