Green oasis on Max-Joseph-Platz: the area in front of the opera is to be redesigned

Created: 11/27/2022, 4:46 p.m

By: Sascha Karowski, Klaus Vick

Interim solution in favor of pedestrian and bicycle traffic: The oversized underground car park entrance at the opera (right) is to be narrowed.

© City of Munich

The dreary Max-Joseph-Platz is to become a green oasis.

The administration is currently working flat out to redesign the area in front of the opera.

The access to the underground car park is to be narrowed in this context.

Mayor Katrin Habenschaden (Greens) is enthusiastic about the plans.

The backdrop is magnificent: Max-Joseph-Platz is lined with the opera, the Residenztheater, the Residenz building and the palace of the former main post office.

But the square itself is desolate, the paving with the Isar pebbles is difficult to walk on and cars meander along Maximilianstraße in the direction of the opera car park.

All of this is a thorn in the side of those responsible in the city and also of many citizens.

There have always been initiatives for redesign, but nothing has happened so far.

Now, according to the mayor, habenharm, things should finally be nailed down.

City council will take up the issue in December.

From 2023 to 2025, the square will then gradually be greened, the paving will be replaced and the quality of stay will be improved.

However, the access road to the underground car park can only be relocated after the end of the construction work on the second trunk line at Marienhof, i.e. in the 2030s.

Reason: Construction site traffic to Marienhof is handled via Maximilianstraße and the valley.

Mayor doesn't want to wait until the 2030s

For habenschaden, however, one thing is certain: "We can't wait that long to finally make one of the most beautiful squares in the city a jewel for the people of Munich to experience." It is therefore worth tackling a good interim solution.

The green-red town hall government had already decided in the summer to implement a pedestrian zone from 2023 onwards.

Stone desert: Mayor Katrin Habenschaden welcomes the redesign plans for the area in front of the residence.

© Marcus sleep

Because this is a sensitive environment, monument protection should also be involved in the redesign plans.

The key points of the interim solution are a significantly narrower entrance to the underground car park and thus a considerable gain in space for pedestrians.

We are talking about around 1500 square meters, which would correspond to doubling the space in front of the opera and the Residenztheater.

Instead, plant troughs and seating should be set up.

Oversized underground car park entrance is to be trimmed

The Max-Joseph-Platz itself is also to be beautified and the roundabout planted with large shrubs and flowering meadows.

Similar ideas had already been presented by TU students in 2015.

Habenschaden: "It won't be the perfect solution because we still have the entrance to the underground car park, but at least we'll achieve a timely improvement in the situation after decades of fruitless discussions." In any case, it's also important that the currently oversized entrance to the underground car park is trimmed down .

The Greens politician also sees a compensation for the Marienhof construction site in the redesign plans.

"This space will not be available to citizens for a long time."

In the long term, there are plans to relocate the entrance to the opera car park in order to make Max-Joseph-Platz completely car-free – possibly to Alfons-Goppel-Straße.

There have already been motions from all major parties in the city council, including the CSU.

In addition, the green-red coalition had requested in the previous year that a third of the parking spaces in Maximilianstrasse be deleted – in favor of pedestrians and cyclists.

In addition, the mobility department is to develop a concept of how Munich's magnificent mile in the section between Residenzstrasse and Marstallstrasse can be largely freed from car traffic.