Munich's Arabellahaus Saved from Demolition with Innovative Retrofit Plan

In a surprising reversal, the owner of Munich's Arabellahaus, real-estate developer Bayerische Hausbau, has abandoned plans to demolish the 1969 residential tower and instead approved a retrofit designed by Munich-based architect Andreas Hild. The proposal involves stripping the ageing façades and balconies and wrapping the building in a new 2.4-metre-deep layer to accommodate lifts, staircases, and services, while creating additional interior space. A publicly accessible roof garden, reached by an outdoor escalator four times the length of the one at Paris's Centre Pompidou, is also planned. The project has broad support from residents, the developer, and the city, making its success likely. If completed, Arabellahaus could serve as a model for addressing Germany's urgent problem of ageing 1960s and 1970s housing blocks, many of which are reaching the end of their useful lives. Germany faces a shortage of roughly two million homes, making demolition and rebuilding less justifiable. The article argues for regulatory changes to encourage refurbishment over demolition, citing environmental benefits (retaining embedded carbon and materials) and social benefits (preserving residents' attachment and neighbourhood identity). The piece is written by Florian Siebeck, Monocle's Frankfurt correspondent, and also highlights Munich's Olympiapark as an example of successful mid-century architecture.