Shopping Munich's Fünf Höfe
One of Munich’s most ambitious building projects was recently completed after two years of construction and nearly a decade of planning. Covering an area of some 20,000 square meters, two-thirds of which have been completed, the “Fünf Höfe” (five courts) is a high-end shopping and dining complex in the center of Munich, between Theatiner-, Maffei-, Kardinal-Faulhaber- and Salvatorstrasse. While construction workers still mingle with shoppers — on account of the building that continues on Salvatorstrasse — 36 exclusive shops, four cafés and bars and a restaurant have already been opened to the public. A stroll through the Fünf Höfe — or at least through the courts that have been finished — reveals that this is not an ordinary shopping mall. The renowned Basel-based architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron, winner of the 1994 competition for the complete remodeling of this site, has preserved a majority of the facades (in contrast to their controversial first design, which called for the demolition of all buildings), while the block’s interior is a complex network of courtyards and passageways. Simplicity characterizes the architecture, which makes ample use of metal and glass. Among the 36 stores are those of such international designers as Virmani, Tokyo and Strenesse, as well as an impressive 22 local retailers, including such long-established names as Pfeifen Diehl (since 1860) and the shoe store Baumeister (since 1871). A number of exclusive eateries — gourmet chef Karl Ederer’s restaurant “Ederer’s,” and the bar-cum-restaurant Barista, or “è tricaffé,” which serves Italian specialties and snacks — ensure that Fünf Höfe will be a place to visit even when the shops close. For more information, visit www.fuenf-hoefe.de.