Hollwich Kushner’s First European Project Features a “Leisure Canyon”

Their design for a set of hotels and office buildings brings an industrial tone to a new district in Munich.

New York-based studio Hollwich Kushner is set to take on its first European project. Renderings were released last week for Die Macherei, a new mixed-used business district in Munich, Germany designed in collaboration with msm meyer schmitz-morkramer and OSA Och Schmidhuber Architekten.

The new urban center is more than a series of buildings — it is a community hub meant to encourage a new way of working, interacting with other people and integrating social activity within a singular space. It will feature 64,000 square meters of rental space for offices, shops, restaurants, a hotel and gym.

Die Macherei design by Hollwich Kushner, OSA, and msm courtesy of Art-Invest Real Estate and Accumulata Immobilien

With such a large program, the design called for the construction of separate buildings that are unified in shape and style, each with façades of various colors and materials. This mishmash of architectural details brings a unique industrial edge to the development. Public space is also a large focal point of the design, with interconnecting gardens, plazas and footpaths set between buildings and in courtyards.

Matthias Hollwich, principal at Hollwich Kushner, is originally from Munich. Creating this new district for the city is a big win for the firm. “Returning to Munich after 22 years is a dream come true,” he said. “I could not be more excited to realized [our] first European project in my hometown.”

Hollwich Kushner design for hotel at Die Macherei courtesy of Art-Invest Real Estate and Accumulata Immobilien

A total of six new complementary buildings will exist on the site upon completion. Hollwich Kushner designed the buildings situated along the district’s eastern edge. Combined, the three buildings will house hotels, offices and a fitness center.

The hotel on the southeastern end of the property features a jagged brick façade with expansive, floor-to-ceiling windows that give guests prime views over Die Macherei. It also includes an elevated bar and habitable terraces. The adjacent office building to the east is separated by a “leisure canyon” and includes fitness center. To the north, another office building also housing a hotel features a deep courtyard and ample green space. It also extends to guide visitors to the center of the development’s main plaza.

Die Macherei design by Hollwich Kushner, OSA, and msm courtesy of Art-Invest Real Estate and Accumulata Immobilien

OSA Ochs Schmidhuber, a Munich-based architecture firm, envisioned the 15,000-square-meter incubator building in the northwestern part of the site — a design that blends a traditional brick façade with superimposed steel and glass.

OSA design for incubator building at Die Macherei courtesy of Art-Invest Real Estate and Accumulata Immobilien

msm meyer schmitz-morkramer from Cologne and Frankfurt created a uniquely shaped series of buildings for the site’s southwestern corner. Programmed for a mix of loft-style offices and retail space, the design includes a multi-layered set of materials that give a distinct industrial aesthetic to the entire site.