Hofstatt (Munich)

Hofstatt is a mixed-use urban complex and shopping mall in Munich's Old Town, Germany. It occupies almost an entire city block bounded by Sendlinger Straße, Färbergraben, Hotterstraße and Hackenstraße, in a central area between Marienplatz and Sendlinger Tor. The project combines retail, food and beverage, offices, apartments and publicly accessible courtyards rather than functioning as a conventional standalone department store or consumer brand. The complex opened in April 2013 after the redevelopment of a site historically associated with the Süddeutscher Verlag and the Süddeutsche Zeitung. Important elements of the former publishing and printing premises were retained and incorporated into the new development. In particular, the historic façade on Sendlinger Straße, designed by architect Max Littmann in 1905–06, forms part of the architectural identity of Hofstatt. The former printing-building structure was substantially emptied and integrated with new construction, while the glass-roofed central space known as the Lichthof became a defining interior feature. Architecturally, Hofstatt links a new building completed in 2013 with protected or historically significant parts of the earlier complex. Its three-armed circulation layout, curved shopfront glazing and sequence of courtyards give the development a more urban, permeable character than a closed shopping centre. Courtyards that had previously been inaccessible were opened to the public following the redevelopment. The project therefore operates both as a retail destination and as a piece of city-centre regeneration. The completed development contains approximately 15,500 square metres of retail and gastronomy space, around 18,000 square metres of office space and 69 apartments. Retail and dining uses occupy the publicly oriented portions of the complex, while upper floors contain offices and residential accommodation is located in separate buildings on Hotterstraße and near the Färbergraben corner. The tenant mix has included fashion, home-furnishing and hospitality businesses. Abercrombie & Fitch has been identified as a permanent tenant, operating one of its German branches at Sendlinger Straße 8. The development was undertaken by the real-estate arm of Landesbank Baden-Württemberg together with the American property company Hines. The project was later acquired by Quantum Immobilien AG after its opening in late 2013; Quantum subsequently marketed the property and acted as the owner's representative according to the referenced description. The originally intended completion date, at the end of 2010, was not achieved. Delays were attributed in part to the removal of contamination associated with the former printing operations and to financing issues. Hofstatt's identity rests on the combination of central Munich retailing, adaptive reuse and contemporary architecture. Its name derives from the associated main road and historic urban setting. Unlike a corporate consumer brand, Hofstatt is primarily a named real-estate and shopping destination whose value comes from location, architecture, tenant mix and the reuse of a historically important publishing-site complex.

Hofstatt was created through the redevelopment of a substantial block in Munich's historic centre. The site had been associated with the Süddeutscher Verlag and the Süddeutsche Zeitung, whose editorial and printing activities left both architectural and environmental traces. Rather than replacing the block entirely, the redevelopment retained historically significant elements and combined them with a new urban complex. The historic frontage on Sendlinger Straße was designed by Max Littmann in 1905–06. It belonged to the building used by the Süddeutsche Zeitung from the postwar period until 2008. The former printing-building structure was also incorporated into the project, although its interior was emptied and reconfigured. This approach allowed the completed development to preserve a visible connection with the site's publishing history while introducing new retail, office and residential uses. The development was designed to occupy nearly the whole block between Sendlinger Straße, Färbergraben, Hotterstraße and Hackenstraße. Marcel Meili designed the new building, completed in 2013, which was linked to the retained historic portions. The resulting architecture has a three-armed shopping layout, curved passages and curved-glass shopfronts. A central glass-covered space, the Lichthof, became one of the complex's principal architectural features. The glass dome had previously covered the printing building and was reused as part of the new interior environment. Before redevelopment, the site's courtyards were not generally open to the public. The project changed that relationship by making the inner courtyards accessible as part of the complex's circulation and public realm. Residential buildings were placed separately along Hotterstraße and at the Färbergraben corner, while offices were provided on upper floors of the commercial buildings. The completed scheme consequently combined public retail areas with private residential and workplace functions. The project was developed by the real-estate arm of Landesbank Baden-Württemberg and Hines, an American real-estate company. Its planned completion at the end of 2010 was postponed. The referenced account identifies the removal of contaminated material left by the former printing operations and financing questions among the reasons for the delay. Hofstatt eventually opened in April 2013. At completion, the complex provided about 15,500 square metres for fashion, furnishing, retail and gastronomy uses, approximately 18,000 square metres of offices and 69 apartments. It was positioned close to Munich's major central transport and pedestrian connections, including the area between Marienplatz and Sendlinger Tor, placing it among the city's central shopping destinations alongside other inner-city passages and centres. After opening, Quantum Immobilien AG acquired the property and took on marketing and owner's-representative responsibilities according to the cited material. The tenant profile included fashion and lifestyle businesses as well as restaurants and cafés. Abercrombie & Fitch was identified as a permanent tenant at Sendlinger Straße 8, one of the brand's German locations. Hofstatt remains best understood as a mixed-use property and urban-reuse project rather than as a conventional merchandise brand.

• 2013

  Hofstatt opens

  [1]Hofstatten.wikipedia.org

  The mixed-use shopping complex opened in April after the historic and new buildings were combined.

• 2013

  Quantum Immobilien becomes property owner representative

  [1]Hofstatten.wikipedia.org

  Quantum Immobilien AG acquired the property after opening and took responsibility for marketing and owner representation according to the referenced description.

• 2008

  Former newspaper use ends

  [1]Hofstatten.wikipedia.org

  The cited account identifies 2008 as the end of the Süddeutsche Zeitung's use of the editorial building before redevelopment.

• 1945

  Süddeutsche Zeitung uses the site

  [1]Hofstatten.wikipedia.org

  The historic complex became associated with the Süddeutsche Zeitung's editorial and printing operations in the postwar period.

• 1905

  Historic Sendlinger Straße façade designed

  [1]Hofstatten.wikipedia.org

  Max Littmann designed the façade that later became part of the Hofstatt redevelopment.

A central Munich mixed-use destination combining contemporary shopping and dining with the adaptive reuse of historic publishing and printing buildings.

• Retail · 2013

  Fashion retail

  Hofstatt provides centrally located space for fashion and apparel retailers. The complex's retail identity is based on a collection of individual tenants rather than on a proprietary product line. Abercrombie & Fitch has been identified as a permanent tenant at Sendlinger Straße 8.

• Retail · 2013

  Home furnishing and lifestyle retail

  Home-furnishing and lifestyle stores form part of Hofstatt's retail offer. These uses complement the fashion and food-and-beverage tenants and contribute to the complex's positioning as a mixed urban shopping destination.

• Food and beverage · 2013

  Gastronomy

  Restaurants, cafés and other gastronomic establishments occupy portions of the complex, serving visitors and supporting activity in the passages and courtyards.

• Commercial real estate · 2013

  Office space

  Upper levels of the commercial buildings provide office accommodation. The completed scheme contains approximately 18,000 square metres of office space, integrated with the retail and public areas.

• Residential real estate · 2013

  Residential apartments

  The project includes 69 apartments in separate buildings along Hotterstraße and near the Färbergraben corner. These residential elements form part of the wider mixed-use redevelopment rather than the shopping mall's tenant offer.

• 2013

  Combine historic preservation with new mixed-use constructionStrategy

  Background

  The redevelopment involved a historically significant publishing and printing site in Munich's Old Town.

  Action taken

  The project retained the Max Littmann façade and elements of the former printing building while adding a contemporary shopping, office and residential complex.

  Aftermath

  The completed scheme created a public retail destination with reopened courtyards and preserved architectural references to the site's newspaper and printing history.

  Source

1. 1Hofstatten.wikipedia.org
2. 2Hofstatt official websitehofstatt.info