Built 50 years ago, the "relief town" of Neuperlach was always a much-maligned district, supposedly loveless and inhospitable – a product of the test tube, so to speak. Since the satellite town's 50th birthday, the neighbourhood's image has been changing: suddenly it is being praised, described as "exemplary" and loved and appreciated by its residents. Which narrative ultimately comes closest to reality remains – for now – open to question. 

Since the neighbourhood has now also been praised beyond measure as a flagship project of the New European Bauhaus, a beautification process has been set in motion – although, to be honest, it actually began earlier, in 2019. Probably due in part to the pandemic, everything has been delayed somewhat, with one exception, which opened last October: Perlach Plaza. It was built on a former brownfield site that had served as a car park for decades. This huge project is now set to become the new centre of Neuperlach. The architectural firm "AllesWirdGut" won the competition, which was announced in 2017. The construction project was completed in a relatively short time: it took just under three years from the laying of the foundation stone in 2019 to the opening in autumn 2022. It is a mixed-use project: with its urban mix of retail, services, restaurants, residential and hotel facilities, it plays an essential urban planning role in the development of the new KulturQuadrat centre on Hanns-Seidel-Platz. The location is directly opposite the PEP, the old shopping centre that was the centre of Neuperlach from the beginning. Unlike the new "Perlach Plaza", it closes in the evening, while the new complex still offers a variety of restaurants in the evening.

Towards Hanns Seidel Platz, the structure is divided into three seemingly independent buildings connected by arcades. At the rear, the other buildings enclose a 5,000 m² park and courtyard, which is set to become the centre's central square and meeting place. The location is very convenient for transport – there is a direct underground connection, seven stops to Marienplatz and nine to the university. There is also a bus station right next door and the motorway to Salzburg is within easy reach. The ensemble includes an Ibis Styles hotel bathed in intense colours, 110 rental flats and 104 student apartments. 

The building has nine floors, three of which are underground (one for retail, two for underground parking). The ground floor, with its restaurants, is accessible to residents via a spacious open staircase (outdoor foyer) from the Hochpark. The retail space in the basement is accessed via an escalator from the ground floor. The hotel forms the northern end of the building in the shape of an almost rectangular block on the north and west sides. The cultural centre, which is to be built on the neighbouring plot, will then complete the so-called "KulturQuadrat" (culture square).

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Photography:

Tschinkersten Photography
www.tschinkersten.com

(Published in CUBE Munich 03|23)