Fear for the Isartor: Accessibility and fire protection - is the future of the museum at stake?

Created: 07/22/2022, 08:40

By: Katharina Mira Hinsche

Two large stair towers with a lift are to be built behind the towers of the Isartor (left).

They should be connected by a wide arcade.

© Simulation Allmann-Sattler-Wappner

The Isartor is to be brought up to date.

The renovation work makes some BA members fear for the future of the museum.

Munich - Fire protection and accessibility have top priority - and they show no mercy even with the most venerable buildings.

As reported, the Isartor and thus the Valentin-Karlstadt-Musäum are to be brought up to date.

The planned extensions to the historic walls, which were presented to the district committee (BA) Altstadt/Lehel on Wednesday evening, appear massive - and make some BA members fear that the future of the museum and its charming tower parlor is at stake.

Isartor: Conversion work should ensure more accessibility and fire protection

Two new, open escape stair towers, each with an elevator, are to be added to the two existing flanking towers.

For the first time, the infirm, the sick and wheelchair users could also get into the towers.

Previously, this was only possible with difficulty and on foot via the spiral staircase.

For the first time there would also be reasonable escape routes.

Because if the flames were to blaze in the towers today, the only way for café visitors on the top floor to escape was through the windows.

The two new towers are to be supplemented and connected by a large, rectangular extension building as an exhibition area for the museum.

The rectangular block floats freely above the inner courtyard.

The city council commissioned the architects Allmann Sattler Wappner to carry out a feasibility study for elevators.

One thing is certain: the Valentin-Karlstadt-Musäum will be renovated to make it barrier-free.

The culture committee decided that a year ago.

Otherwise it will not be able to survive at this point.

Munich: BA members fear the end of the Valentin Museum

Many members of the BA cannot accept the suggestions made so far and even fear the end of the museum.

"Preserving the Valentin Museum on site is important to us, but we believe that the planned intervention in the Isartor ensemble is too massive," says the minutes of the Planning, Building, Housing subcommittee.

"It was discussed whether the reduction to one tower would be conceivable if the Volkssänger exhibition was moved to the Stadtmuseum.

In particular, the massive widening of the battlements was criticized.”

Wolfgang Püschel (SPD) emphasized on Wednesday that a "very brutal intervention in the building structure" was planned and that the "charm was done with".

Stefanie Wagner-Schroiff (FDP) is certain: "The courtyard will then be even darker." Stefan Blum (CSU) suggested reducing the size of the museum and moving the folk singer exhibition to the City Museum in Munich.

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Deputy museum director confident: "The charm of the interior will be preserved"

Renate Luba, the deputy director of the museum, cannot quite understand the excitement.

A few years ago, fire protection approached the museum.

"Corona benefited us," she explained the delays in implementation.

At the museum, they didn't think much of an earlier suggestion to drill large holes in the ceiling through which visitors could use ladders to save themselves.

The current proposal is better.

Inclusion is particularly important to Renate Luba and museum director Sabine Rinberger.

They are often approached by visitors from all over the world who cannot understand why a museum is not yet barrier-free these days.

BA boss Andrea Stadler-Bachmaier (Greens) suggested that everyone involved meet in September to find a common solution.

And Renate Luba is certain: "The charm of the interior is retained."

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