<Maximilianstrasse 53, Münich, 2023–2024

Located in the prominent Maximilian boulevard, the loggia in the main front of the building,  forms the closure of the Maximilian street. With its five-storey eaves height, its timber construction, it echoes the elevation of the magnificent buildings lining the street, most of which are open to the public. It is also the opposite of the historic administrative headquarters of the Versicherungskammer in Sternstrasse 3 and extends the neighbourhood on Widenmayerstrasse.

The loggia, the roof pavilion and the roof terrace highlight it as a building in the landscape, the Forum, the Maximilian Bridge, the Isar promenades, the park on the sloping terraces to the east with the Maximilianeum and the front gardens of the neighbouring quarter. The materialisation, the plasticity serve the filigree quality of the loggia, which distinguishes it from the side extensions. The keystone of the block thus points to the public significance of the urban and landscaped space, which intensifies the location of the main entrance. While the loggia protrudes from them, the adjoining wings on Sternstrasse and Widenmayerstrasse are subordinate to the street architecture with traditional rendered façades.

The roof garden facing the Forum, blends into the sequence of gardens. It represents a valuable recreational area for both groups, the tenants and the employees of the Chamber. Here, close-up and distant impressions of the landscape and organising garden elements intertwine. The large, mosaic-like areas covered with the granite of the old building are surrounded by hedges that bloom at different times. At the head of Maximilian's Bridge, which crosses the Isar promenade, a small kiosk has been added akin to those found at other bridgeheads in Munich. A long, curved bench around the existing trees invites to linger and enjoy the view of the promenade and the Isar cascades. In the forum of the Maximiliansanlagen is the ornamental garden. The theme of the hedges are continued. A new low hedge base separates it spatially from Maximilianstrasse. The opaque yews will be removed. The maples will be replaced by new multi-stemmed cherry trees. The centre will be planted with a wild plant border, in which the statue would also stand. The public space at the edge with a view of the surrounding streets is now shifted to the ornamental garden, which is intended as an extension of the café under the colonnade.