Munich architect Alexander Fthenakis has a deep appreciation for the Schwanthalerhöhe district. On a walk through the area, he explains its unique urban signature: from the Gründerzeit period to Brutalism and the present day.
On Monday morning in the Westend during Oktoberfest time, the first groups, beer in hand, push their way from the railway station towards the festival tents. In the Westend itself, no one is heading to the Oktoberfest yet, but the sounds of festival-goers can already be heard from afar. Here, the streets are empty – workers carry pipes out of backyards and an elderly person takes shopping bags home. Despite its dense construction, the Westend feels like a quiet suburb at this moment.
But for Munich architect Alexander Fthenakis, it remains one of the city's liveliest and most fascinating neighbourhoods. He runs the architectural firm Fthenakis Studio in Munich, has held a guest professorship for experimental building at the Technical University of Munich, is an expert in existing buildings and urban structures and well-versed in Munich's architectural history. As we walk with him through the neighbourhood, he explains its special features and most important architectural landmarks.
Our meeting point with Alexander Fthenakis is the MK5 residential tower, the famous interlocking multi-storey complex by architect Otto Steidle, which opened in 2002. The stacked cubic elements give the building a dynamic structure. Skilfully arranged spaces create generous terraces and loggias along the entire vertical axis.
For once, this is a building that seems to boldly proclaim: “I am modern“. It is now over 20 years old. What do you think?
The funny thing is: I built a model of this building in 1997, during one of my first internships at Steidle, which was among the big names in modern construction. What you can say about this house is that it embodies the zeitgeist of the 1990s: this “architectural Tetris”, the deliberate disorganisation, the visual complexity without noticeable repetition – which was very fashionable at the time. I appreciate neighbourhoods where multiple eras are visible, and the Westend is a great example of this. Although the 1990s style often fades from view today, this building remains a striking exception. It's also intriguing how the early 2000s buildings here diverge from the Westend’s traditional principles.
What principles?
The inner Westend is defined by a porous block structure lining the street. Buildings extend right up to the edges of the street blocks, but the mixed use – residential spaces, ground-floor shops, and rear-yard workshops – create open rather than closed fronts. Many courtyards are accessible from the outside. I particularly admire the small petrol station and garage on Ligsalzstrasse, which are remnants from the 1950s.
So, is this part of the Westend, which was developed in the 2000s, more spacious?
Yes, that's correct. Open-plan construction and large-scale complexes predominate here. However, there are always attempts to introduce openness, such as the inner courtyard of the KPMG building with the Olafur Eliasson staircase.
From the MK5 residential tower, we proceed down the street towards the Alte Messe trade fair centre. For many years, it served as the city's central venue for a variety of fairs. After the trade fair centre relocated to the eastern part of the city, the site was redeveloped. Today, the former exhibition halls house the Verkehrszentrum (transport museum) of the Deutsches Museum, with Bavaria Park beginning directly behind it.
Both the Messehalle and the Kongresshalle remain significant architectural landmarks. What do you think of this?
These are indeed two remarkable buildings, each emblematic of its era. The old exhibition hall, a huge yet delicate reinforced concrete structure from 1908, is a fine example of turn-of-the-century Munich architecture. It is built from concrete, which was still a very new building material at the time. Next door, the Alte Kongresshalle opened in 1953 and is one of my favourite buildings in Munich. It's a magnificent example of 1950s architecture: the overhanging roof feels inviting, the glass façade impressively opens up the interior, the open staircases inside are extremely elegant and the banisters are incredibly beautiful. This is one of the few buildings with a very well-preserved interior from this era that is open to the public.
After a short walk northwards, we find ourselves in front of the Forum Schwanthalerhöhe on Schwanthalerstrasse, a massive building complex from the 1970s.
Opinions on this structure are divided: some consider it the true Westend’s defining landmark, while most simply find it brutal. What does the architect say?
The problem, however, is that much of its potential remains untapped. The upper floors and even the roofs could be used in fantastic ways, but due to difficult accessibility and maintenance, this simply doesn't happen. It's a great pity, but maybe that will change in the future.
It was designed by the renowned architect E. M. Lang as a city within a city, featuring restaurants and shops on the ground floor and a hotel and living spaces above. Inspired by Le Corbusier's Unité d'Habitation in Marseille, the stacked, staggered architecture with rounded projections still stands out today for its complex and lively aesthetics.
We are dealing with a very complex structure made up of several elements. The tall residential buildings to the south, which are visible from afar, are less successful, because of their monotonous appearance. While the design provides ample living space, it has not aged well. However, this criticism does not apply to other parts of the complex, such as the large northern section.
A few steps further to the north-west, we come across a long brick façade – the backside of the famous Augustiner Brewery on Westendstrasse.
The brickwork stretches endlessly. What a sight!
Yes, you could call it the “Great Wall“ of the Westend. Very impressive. What's fascinating here is the stark contrast between two urban planning principles. On the southern side of the street, you have the small-scale structure of the inner Westend, mostly houses built in the last decades of the 19th century.
Opposite them stands this massive brewery block from the 1880s. With its 200-meter-long façade and fortress-like presence, the brewery is completely sealed off from the outside world. This aligns perfectly with Augustiner’s image. It's the last major brewery still brewing in Munich, resisting the dominance of large brewing corporations. In a way, Augustiner is like the rebellious Gallic village in the Roman Empire of beer – and this site reflects that spirit.
We walk through the central Westend until we reach the Ledigenheim (single quarters) on Gollierplatz (square).
Another striking brick building stands before us.
Indeed. What a magnificent structure! The famous Ledigenheim by Theodor Fischer from 1927 is a prime example of Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity) architecture. In my opinion, it is one of the best buildings in Munich. Fischer was not just an architect, but also an urban planner. This building was conceived as a kind of residential home for young craftsmen, labourers and employees, offering a large number of small, well-lit rooms that adhered to the hygienic principles of the time. Hygiene was a major concern in 1920s urban planning, much like sustainability is today.
The design reflects this, with several wings forming a cohesive street-facing structure that defines the street space. One particularly interesting feature is the recessed central tower in the courtyard, which visually segments the building and prevents the street façade from feeling overwhelming despite its seven storeys. And then the entrance is also worth mentioning – rather than leading directly onto the street, it opens into a semi-covered transition space between the hectic street outside and the sheltered interior of the building.
Three streets further, on Ganghoferstrasse, we reach the final stop of our architectural tour: a vast residential complex with a trapezoidal floor plan.
This complex dates from the same period, from 1928. What can you tell us about it?
The building was designed by the Munich architect Otho Orlando Kurz and is a great example of large-scale co-operative housing. The façade along the street appears relatively simple and uniform, but the architectural finesse is evident at the corners: Here, Kurz has incorporated balconies, curves and bay windows to break up the block and give it an architectural face.
Are there any elements that you consider particularly successful?
Despite its massive size, the building blends in quite well with the small-scale structure of the neighbourhood, also thanks to the shops on the ground floor. The entire building also benefits from its large, green inner courtyard. As closed off as the complex appears from the outside, it is quite open on the inside. Kurz and this building could be categorised as “conservative modernism“: Although the principles of modernism were basically adopted, they remained rather traditional in their expression. And this makes the building very typical of Munich.
