Meiller Gärten, Munich

The brief for this design study was to create a gateway to the new “Meiller Gärten” neighborhood in Munich Moosach, as the final and, in urban planning terms, most important development on the site of the former Meiller automobile and machine factory. The design responds to the specific urban context and creates a prominent landmark that will define the neighborhood character.

As specified in the master plan, the concept comprises one high-rise and one low-rise building. Our design structures the high-rise at the same angle as the low-rise building with a rotation of 45 degrees relative to the profile. This enables us to optimize the orientation of the units with regard to both solar exposure and noise pollution from rail and road. Like a pleated window shade, the folded façade boasts a distinctive, sculptural appearance and allows for a series of protected, private balconies that add value to the apartments. The same is true for the integrated façade greening, which underscores the commitment to sustainability evident throughout the neighborhood. The use of renewable energy as well as sustainable and eco-friendly building materials is consistent with this commitment as well.

Flexibility, openness, quality and diversity are the guiding principles in our design of this multi-generational residential complex. We opted for a skeleton frame to accommodate interconnecting apartments as well as customized floorplans, including barrier-free layouts on request. Additional restaurant and retail units on the ground and first floors as well as communal areas accessible to all residents with an adjoining roof terrace on the fourth floor offer a variety of spaces for social interaction and community building.

As an alternative, we considered increasing the tower height from 35.5 to 47.5 meters. The building will already be recognizable from its immediate surroundings by the peripheral Moosach train station and from outside this well-established neighborhood, so we believe the increased height would make the building more prominent. The proposed plan to stagger the roofline from east to west would draw more attention to the building and address neighborhood concerns about natural light and solar exposure. The developers ultimately decided to go with the shorter 11-storey version.