A soaring presence it commands the Munich skyline. This is the Old Technical Town Hall. Built in 1929 it’s a testament to a city’s ambition. It’s the oldest high-rise in Munich a fact many long-time residents remember. They still call it Das Hochhaus. That’s German for The High-Rise.
The Old Technical Town Hall wasn’t always known by that name. It initially housed the city’s technical departments. Their importance grew after World War I. More staff needed more space. A competition in 1919 sought a solution. The idea of a high-rise emerged. It sparked a city-wide debate. The Munich City Council finally approved the high-rise in 1921. The design had to respect the surrounding area. Importantly it had to stay shorter than the Frauenkirche’s towers. Those stand 99 meters tall.
Hermann Leitenstorfer’s design won. He expanded it from four to twelve stories. The building was approved in 1928. The prize court believed it would be a welcome addition to the cityscape. Construction began that year. By 1929 the building was complete and ready to serve its purpose. It formed an organizational unit with a neighboring building. That structure started construction in 1924. They were a cohesive unit functionally not architecturally.
Soon though the technical departments outgrew the building. More offices sprang up outside. It wasn’t until the opening of the new Technical Town Hall in Berg am Laim in 2000 that all services were consolidated. Then the building became known as the Old Technical Town Hall.
The Old Technical Town Hall is architecturally divided into three sections. There’s the base the eight main floors and the four upper stories. One of those is an attic. The main floors have a simple design. Window ribbons create the impression of a perforated facade. The upper floors have flat buttresses. Their edges have historicizing design elements. The attic’s console stones are quite prominent. The brick covering is similar to the Frauenkirche. The Nagelfluh stone trim is a beautiful touch. It references the demolished Angertor. That gate stood on the same spot before the high-rise. The Old Technical Town Hall is a prime example of Munich’s New Construction style.
For a time it had a very unique feature a paternoster elevator. Its continued operation sparked a battle. The Association for the Rescue of the Last Passenger Elevators intervened. They successfully altered elevator regulations. The paternoster was temporarily closed in 2015. Public outcry led to its reopening shortly after. This impressive building stands as a symbol of Munich’s history. Its evolution reflects the city’s growth and change.