February 2007
Museum Renovations
With several recent investments, the city has asserted that Munich’s museums are just as valuable as the treasures they house. The 2005 renovation of the Villa Stuck was a successful buffering of the Jugendstil jewel, and many similar cleanups are in the works. The Münchner Stadtmuseum will be renovated piece by piece, beginning with the historical arsenal building (the Zeughaus). The city allocated € 7.4 million for its restoration, which is already underway. Work on the facade will begin at the end of this month, to be finished by 2008 for the 850th anniversary of the city. During this time, the museum entrance on St. Jakobs Platz will be closed but visitors may enter at Oberanger or Sebastiansplatz. The renovation of the Lenbachhaus will not take place until 2009, but its grand scale already has the city talking. More than € 51.2 million will be spent on the general renovation and reconstruction of Franz von Lenbach’s Florentine villa. British architects Foster and Partners—famous for their work on the Reichstag dome and Hearst Tower in New York—will oversee the work, which is expected to be finished in 2011.
