Ludwig I is said not to have liked what his son and successor as king, Max II Joseph, did to the cityscape. The neo-Gothic architectural style in Maximilianstraße was anathema to Ludwig, who preferred it to a classic style. It is said that he later only drove through the street with the curtains drawn.
Of course, the street wasn’t as horrible as the ex-king used to think it was, at least when you compare it to today. Back then, there were no oversized cars parked along the roadside, instead there were trees and space to stroll. Luckily for him, Ludwig I was spared what became of Max-Joseph-Platz, which was designed during the reign in the 1960s. The underground car park exit there is considered a first-degree architectural sin. And we’ve been thinking about how to undo this for a long time.
More green: The square in front of the Bavarian State Opera should become more attractive and presentable again.
(Photo: Building Department)
Next Wednesday, the city council is to decide how the boulevard and the square could become more attractive and livable again. While the street is to be converted into an avenue with fewer cars and new trees, the underground car park could be accessed with two new ramps on Maximilianstrasse.
There would then be space for pedestrians on Max-Joseph-Platz in front of the National Theater and the possibility of making it appealing. The previously planned development via a 130 meter long underground access road from Alfons-Goppel-Strasse was rejected again, as the disruption to traffic would be too great. Among other things, Alfons-Goppel-Strasse would become a cul-de-sac and there would not be enough space for regular wide footpaths.
A new exit will lead to the underground car park.
(Photo: Building Department)
Car park operator Mühoga’s suggestion of accessing the garage via a ramp on the west side of the square also has little future. From the point of view of the administration, this variant would not only be bad for cyclists and pedestrians, but also for the users of the tram stop and – last but not least – for the gastronomy. The Spatenhaus at the opera has its free seats there.
There are still two relevant variants. One envisages both ramps to the east of the Hofgraben, the other one ramp to the east and one to the west. They would fit into the cityscape to some extent. But regardless of their location, the implementation is not only expensive but also probably not feasible in the short term.
Maximilianstrasse cannot be rebuilt until the second trunk line is complete
The underground car park would have to be extensively rebuilt, including new inner ramps between the floors. The ramp system at the current location would have to be completely dismantled, including the basement floors.
With the conversion, around 70 to 100 parking spaces were lost from a total of 570 at the moment. Due to the massive interventions in the supporting structure and the operating technology, the age of the underground car park and the necessary and extensive laying of underground lines and channels, a conversion would be almost as expensive as a new building. There are no estimates yet of what the whole thing will cost. It won’t be cheap, that’s to be expected. The operating company, which runs the garage on leasehold, would also have to be compensated for the lost parking spaces.
Another problem is the construction work on the second main S-Bahn line at Marienhof. Some of the construction site traffic takes place via Maximilianstrasse. A conversion of the road is not possible for so long. The main route itself will probably not be finished before 2035 or 2037. The construction work for the future train station behind the town hall could be completed earlier, but when exactly is open.
The city wants to use the time in which it cannot build for negotiations with the garage operator and for coordination with the public and the monument protection. However, Max-Joseph-Platz itself is to be given more quality of life sooner: the building department presented the plans for temporary greening last autumn.