The sauna in the Prinzregentenbad burned down more than 500 days ago – and it is still unclear when it will reopen. The fire broke out in the early morning hours of August 20, 2022, probably due to a technical defect. Nobody got hurt. The sauna operation had already been stopped at the beginning of August because the Munich public utilities wanted to save energy costs. The fire department was able to completely extinguish the fire that morning. There wasn’t much left except sooty holes in the glass facade – and millions in damage.
The traces of the fire have now been removed, new fire protection has been installed and the statics and cables have been checked. Now the municipal utilities have to decide how a sauna area should be created from a quasi-shell building. In order to include visitors’ ideas, a public survey was launched in March last year. “The most common requests were more daylight and a better view,” said a spokeswoman for the municipal utilities.
Further suggestions: a “friendly” whirlpool, more (but smaller) saunas, relaxation rooms with better soundproofing and “good restaurants”. The municipal utility spokeswoman said they wanted to take as many of the visitors’ wishes into account as possible.
A Europe-wide tender is currently underway, initially for planning. The goal is also to build an “energy-efficient” sauna. Using a modular structure, the aim is to flexibly adapt consumption to the number of visitors. Part of the electricity can be generated through photovoltaic systems. It is not yet clear which company will ultimately implement the new building. Estimated costs: “in the mid single-digit million range”.
It is not yet clear when it will be possible to really sweat again in the Prinzregentenbad. After the planning comes the approval phase and only then the construction. Based on experience, it is assumed that a reopening is not expected for “several years”, say the municipal utilities.