Vacancy at the record high-rise: What's next for the Siemens building?

Vacancy at the record high-rise: What's next for the Siemens building?

The Siemens high-rise at Baierbrunner Straße 54, which was once proudly considered the tallest office building in Munich, has undergone a sad transformation in recent years. Opened in 1963 and designed by the architect Hans Maurer, the stately 75 meter high building served as the headquarters of Siemens-Schuckertwerke. However, after the company moved out in 2006, the impressive building remains empty and has fallen into serious disrepair. Windows are leaking and the entrances have been blocked up, robbing the high-rise of its former glory not only visually but also historically. As tz reports, the building has serious defects and many passers-by are not even aware of the history behind the dilapidated walls.

In March 2023, the Munich city council approved a development plan that provided for extensive renovation and extensions for office space. But instead of implementing the original plan, the owner, the Swiss real estate company Empira, has developed new ambitions. Instead of offices, a hotel and a boarding house are now to be built. However, these plans contradict the existing development plan, which the city now has to decide whether it wants to enforce it or give in to the new proposals in order to avoid further vacancies. The situation is delicate, especially since the high-rise building is a listed building, which adds additional complexity to the planning.

Historical significance and change

The construction history of the Siemens high-rise is full of twists and turns. Originally planned as part of a larger project that would include two more high-rise buildings, construction was stopped by a citizens' initiative in 2004. Several changes of ownership followed, which saved the building from complete disrepair, but also constantly changed its use. In 2015, an architectural competition was held to convert the building into residential buildings, but it did not achieve its goal. 270 apartments were supposed to be built under the name “South One”, but this project was also canceled in 2018.

In 2021, the Henn architectural firm presented a preliminary draft for a fundamental renovation that wanted to preserve the original office use. However, the question arose back then about maintaining the monument status, which is in jeopardy due to the ongoing changes. This presents those responsible and the city with major challenges, as monuments are lost every day in Germany, which often goes unnoticed, as a current study shows. A project known as the “Black Book of Monument Preservation” has set itself the task of documenting such endangered monuments and pointing out their special significance.

What will happen to the monument?

In the current situation, it is important to weigh up: Will the city rely on the old building project in order to preserve a piece of history, or will commerce be given priority by giving in to the new hotel project? This remains to be seen. The Siemens high-rise, which was considered a prime example of modern architecture when it was completed in the 1990s, could do with the intrusion of new things - but without sacrificing the history and architectural identity that make it so special. The coming months will show whether the high-rise remains a symbol of lost time or finds a new place in modern urban design.

tz reports that the city now faces a landmark decision while Wikipedia describes the eventful history and the preservation of monument status. In addition, there is Black Book of Monument Preservation Information about the fate of protected buildings in Germany.