Monument preservation vs. climate protection?

How similar the debates surrounding Munich’s Max-Joseph-Platz and Vienna’s Michaelerplatz are: The central and listed squares are to be redesigned to make them climate-friendly. Some call it an important contribution to climate protection, others fear that it will be too intrusive and destroy the appearance of the respective ensemble.

Cities such as Munich and Vienna groan under hot temperatures in summer, and so do their residents. It is clear to everyone that things cannot go on like this! An effective way to reduce the heat in cities is to unseal them – in other words, gray stones should give way to green plants. To gain more green spaces, squares are welcome areas in cities, as they are usually large and often at least traffic-calmed. At the same time, green squares can not only have a positive effect on the urban climate, but also offer a space for spending time outdoors – increased quality of stay is the popular keyword here. Everyone agrees that such squares are needed. However, the choice of squares sometimes meets with resistance – as is the case in Munich and Vienna. Experts in both cities criticize the fact that monument protection cuts corners when it comes to measures to improve climate protection. Both city councils have improved their plans as a result, but the squares are still being changed.

Max-Joseph-Platz in Munich is located at the end of Maximilianstraße and was designed by court architect Leo von Klenze (1784-1864). Klenze based his design on the Capitol Square in Rome. The square is surrounded by important buildings. In 1811, the National Theater was built here by Karl von Fischer (1782-1820), modeled on the Odeon in Paris. Between 1825 and 1842, during the reign of King Ludwig I (1786-1868), the royal residence was built on the north side of the square. The architect responsible was Leo von Klenze, who designed the building in the classicist style based on the models of the Florentine palaces Palazzo Pitti and Palazzo Rucellai, which still characterize Max-Joseph-Platz today. Opposite the Königsbau is the Palais Toerring-Jettenbach, which was built between 1747 and 1754 in the Rococo style by Ignaz Anton Gunetzrhainer (1698-1764). Klenze adapted the building and thus integrated it into the overall ensemble, using the Ospedale degli Innocenti in Florence as a model.
The center of the square is dominated by a monument to Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria (1756-1825). The Max Joseph monument, which shows the king in a seated position, was created by the sculptor Christian Daniel Rauch (1777-1857) in collaboration with Leo von Klenze and the ore caster Johann Baptist Stiglmaier (1791-1844) between 1826 and 1835. The monument is surrounded by a paving consisting of coarse Isar stones. The square is to be redesigned to provide Munich residents with a replacement for the green space at Marienhof, which will not be there for several years due to the expansion of the second S-Bahn main line. This ground covering was originally to be replaced by shrubs, grasses and wildflowers. Following the rejection of the design by the State Monuments Office, the plan was changed. Matthias Pfeil, the head of the Bavarian Monument Preservation Office, criticized the plans in an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung. His main criticism was that the plans were too simple and made no reference to the history of Max-Jospeh-Platz. The square deserved an effort, he said. At the same time, however, he also showed understanding for the approach of wanting to change the square and described it as “misused” by simply using it as a traffic area. Another detriment to the square is an underground car park that was built on the site in the 1960s.
Following criticism from the Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments, the plans were adapted. They were based on plans from 1825, which were found in the main state archive. Now a grassy roundel, interspersed with gravel paths, is to surround the monument and green Max-Joseph-Platz. The paths are to run towards the monument in a star-like and strictly geometric pattern. The square will also be flanked by shrubs planted in planters. According to the Monument Preservation Office, however, this is to be an interim solution. According to reports in the Süddeutsche Zeitung, it is also planned that the entrance to the underground car park will be narrower towards Maximilianstrasse. If the conservationists have their way, the underground car park will also be removed in future.

The greening of Michaelerplatz in Vienna is not planned as an interim project like Max-Joseph-Platz. The square, which is surrounded by the Hofburg Palace, St. Michael’s Church and the Looshaus, is also to be made more attractive with greenery, according to the City of Vienna. Conservationists and art historians from Austria and abroad have criticized this plan in an open letter. In the letter, which can be read on the website of the Austrian Society for Architecture, you can read, among other things, that nobody would think of planting trees in the Piazza Navon in Rome, the Grand-Place in Brussels or the Domplatz in Salzburg. The authors of the letter emphasize that on Michaelerplatz you could experience the most important phases of Vienna’s history, from antiquity, through the Middle Ages and Baroque to modern times. The square is also home to icons of architectural history: in addition to the building by Adolf Loos (1870-1933), there is also the Michaelertrakt, designed by Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach (1693-1742). The overall design of the square goes back to Hans Hollein (1934-2014), dates from the 1990s and is also a listed building. In addition, the square in its current design is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The first draft envisaged raised beds, trees and water features. The plans also included removing the paving stones. Cyclists in particular welcomed this. The Federal Office for the Preservation of Monuments initially approved the plans, but there was also criticism within its own ranks. The Austrian Advisory Council on Monuments also expressed reservations about the plans. The idea of planting bluebell trees met with particular criticism. These fast-growing trees have an aggressive root system, which would particularly endanger the historical excavations located on the site, which can also be visited there. However, it is still uncertain whether those responsible will nevertheless have this type of tree planted or whether other trees will be chosen. The politicians have already made improvements in some areas. The raised beds have been replaced by flat beds and the planned water features in front of the Loos House have apparently been completely removed. The signatories of the open letter expressly emphasize that they welcome the City of Vienna’s efforts to adapt to climate change, but they also stress that the “effect of the historic ensemble” is being destroyed at this point. They also suggest that a final sealing of Heldenplatz or the greening of city districts, which would benefit the residents, would be a better solution.
In general, one can also ask whether greening Michaelerplatz is necessary at all. After all, both the Burggarten and the Volksgarten are just a five-minute walk from the square. This question is also justified in Munich. After all, the Hofgarten is only a stone’s throw away from Max-Joseph-Platz. The English Garden can also be reached quickly from there.

You can read more about this topic in an interview with General Conservator Mathias Pfeil from the Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments in the next Restauro.