Karstadt Sports used to be at home here - now research is carried out at Stachus

Created: 12/21/2021, 8:08 PM

From: Laura Felbinger

In the future, over 200 scientists will work in the top location at Karlstor.

Karstadt Sports had a branch there for four decades.

© Marcus sleep

A position at the Max Planck Institute is moving to the former Karstadt Sports branch.

Offices instead of retail: This is a trend in the pedestrian zone.

Munich - In the heart of Munich - at Stachus - research will be carried out in the future.

The Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition is moving into the place where the Karstadt Sports branch was located for 40 years.

The real estate company Accumulata is taking on the renovation for the building owner Euro Real Estate.

There is already a lot of work going on in the office building.

"Already in a very early phase of the project, we were able to win a scientific organization of worldwide renown and reputation as a long-term anchor tenant, the Max Planck Society," emphasizes Stefan Schillinger, Managing Partner of Accumulata Real Estate.

The institute will occupy 9,600 square meters of rental space in the Karlstor building.

“The move is expected to take place in the second half of 2023,” says Christina Beck from the Max Planck Society.

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More than 200 scientists will be researching at the Stachus in the future

The Institute for Innovation and Competition is currently housed in parts in the same building on Hofgartenstraße where the general administration of the research organization is located, as well as on Marstallstraße. The institute has 215 employees. There are also 50 workstations in the library that are available to external researchers. With the move, the institute areas will be brought together in one central location. The remaining rental space in the listed building on Stachus is intended for retail, catering and other offices. Overall, Euro Real Estate intends to invest a mid-double-digit million amount for the renovation of the building.

"I'm very happy about such a great research organization in the middle of the city," says Wolfgang Fischer, Managing Director of City Partner, the association of inner city retailers.

Offices instead of retail: “There could be a trend here,” says Fischer.

This can also be seen in the old academy.

As recently announced, the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis is moving with 500 employees to the historic complex on the pedestrian zone.

The building is owned by the Signa Group of the Austrian real estate investor René Benko.

Munich pedestrian zone: dealer spokesman welcomes the change

However, Wolfgang Fischer sees the change as positive.

The employees of the Max Planck Institute and Novartis would benefit retail and catering.

After all, they are well-paid workers with a certain purchasing power.

As with the old academy, the appearance of the historic office building on Stachus is to be retained.

According to Accumulata, the renovation of the building does not affect the facade.

The former hotel looks back on a long history.

It was built in 1806. The house was destroyed in the Second World War and rebuilt after 1945.

Most recently, the Karstadt Sports building with its around 14,000 square meters belonged to René Benko's real estate empire.

In summer 2020 it became known that Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof plans to close 20 of the 30 branches of the sports store chain.

In October 2020, the employees at Stachus were dismissed.

Karstadt Sports moved out of there after four decades.