More Changes in Munich

We've attended a couple of really fun public events at the Siemens world headquarters.  From watching Germany destroy Argentina in the 2010 World Cup to sledding down the slope last winter, we've had some fun at Wittelsbacherplatz! Annual events include the Hamburg Fish Market and a Christmas market, as well as special events.

Over the next four year, both Siemens and Wittelsbacherplatz will be getting a major makeover.

A jury including the Siemens CEO and Munich's Mayor have awarded the commission to Danish firm HenningLarsen Architects.  Given the significance of the location and Siemens place as a local leader of industry,  this is a project that will receive great scrutiny.

Architecturally speaking, it will be a headquarters comprised of 6 buildings, linked together to foster communication and creating 6 courtyards which will encourage interaction - both among employees and between Siemens and the city. The 3rd pillar of the plan (after Communication and Interaction) is Innovation, which will utilize Siemens innovations (and I'm sure, others') to construct a building that surpasses most current sustainable building standards. In fact, it's targeted to get a LEED Platinum rating - the highest "green building" rating -, which is rather impressive given that it's a refurbishment and not new construction.  If you're not familiar with the LEED Ratings, you can check out info from the US Green Building Council. (Those look a lot like solar panels on the roof...)

Rendering by HenningLarson Architects

According the architects' site,

The top floor is well-suited for public events such as art exhibitions and allows the visitors to enjoy the skyline of the city while exploring the exhibitions. The public access to Siemens’ new headquarters creates a continuous flow of guests and passers-by and signals that corporate architecture of the 21st century should be open and inviting.

They've done a good job of holding public festivals and events in the plaza, so I'm excited to see what will really be open to the public in the building. I'm sure the courtyards will be open and will have a few nice cafes. But we'll have to see how the public events work with the tight security of most headquarters.

Rendering by HenningLarson Architects

We hope they keep this in the plans:

For more pictures and detailed plans, check out the architects' site.

via ArchDaily

Fünf Höfe Photo Fun

On the way home from a Sunday photowalk through the English Garden, Herr J and I cut through the Fünf Höfe, one of Central Munich's shopping centers.  I've always liked the architecture there, particularly the modern and airy passages in the middle of a historic city block. But we were shocked to realize what fun photo opportunities were in there. All of the textures and reflections were great fun for playing around with HDR photography. 

 

"Fünf Höfe" means "Five Courtyards" in German, an appropriate name for the building spanning a block with passages full of cafes, restaurants, and shops.  And, as a typical German real estate asset, it has offices and apartments on the upper floors. Sitting between the Frauenkirche and Odeonsplatz, the building has an important history as the home of HypoVereinsbank, one of Munich's oldest banks (its roots trace back to the late 1700s). As is often the case here, they sought to keep the historical facade of the building while building something modern and new inside.  According to the center's website, the design was inspired by the courtyards of the nearby Residenz palace.  I often take a shortcut through there as a nice change of pace - it's usually peaceful and with comfortable "weather" inside.

It's quite a nice place to spend a rainy, wintry Sunday afternoon, visiting the Hypo Kunsthalle art museum, followed by coffee in one of the cafes or lunch at Vapiano (reliably good and open late and on Sunday).  During the week, you can shop at a variety of clothing, home, and art stores, as well as Munich's Muji. (Muji is a Japanese home/small good store that's worth a browse, if you've never been in one.  Their focus is on no-brand, minimalist products, usually made of recyclable materials. But they have a great blend of form and function, so that you'll have a really hard time walking out without finding several things you "need"). 

The museum entrance is on the Theatinerstraße side and, though small for a museum, often has good exhibits. There have been a wide variety of themes, artists, and time periods, with the exhibit changing every few months. The Mark Rothko retrospective a couple of years ago was particularly good.  As it's an exhibition gallery rather than one with a permanent collection, you'll need to check periodically to see what's there.

In addition to the open entrances to the passages, there are other areas with open roofs, blurring the boundaries between indoors and outdoors.  

As the complex houses the small museum that Hypovereinsbank sponsors, they also integrated art into the architecture. The hanging gardens through the Salvatorpassage actually are a living installation by Düsseldorf artist Tita Giese.

They blend in so well that they almost escape notice, but you'll also find 12 laser-printed panels throughout the building. These are prints of photos by German photographer Thomas Ruff, meant "give onlookers the impression that they are floating over cityscapes and the countryside." These scenes are of nature, the Munich area in which the Fünf Höfe sits, and Manhattan streets.  You'll see one on the floor in the picture below (bottom right corner).

And the most noticeable art piece hangs in the Viscardihof - a giant steel lattice-work sphere by Olafur Eliasson, an Icelandic artist. The shape and structure is supposed to represent "global openness and worldwide networks."

 

source - Fünf Höfe website

Dream Christmas Gifts

I wouldn't be surprised to see this in the Neiman Marcus Christmas Catalog.

It's the Jelly-fish 45, a 6 person floating "house." The bottom of the 5 levels is underwater, giving you a living room with a 360° view of the sea life. Yours, for only $2.5 million.

I'm not really sure how the legalities work about parking your house, but when they start having undersea trailer parks, sign me up!

Architect meets Computer Geek

Herr J is the computer-savvy one here and I'm the one who loves architecture. But in this case, I'm certain we both agree that Italian artist Franco Recchia has made some cool stuff!

His pieces are sculptures of urban areas and skylines (real and imaginary), but constructed out of old computer parts.

Manhattan 2

Central Park

 Metropolis

Pieces are for sale on Art mine or can be seen in exhibition at the Agora Gallery in New York.

via Neatorama.