voyage dans le temps I journey through time I
Italian, we eat Italian, we dress Italian and we spend
our week-ends in Italy. » The local vision of the dolce
vita especially resonates with a highly cosmopolitan
population whose greatest pleasure is to enjoy a
fresh beer (served by the liter) in a Biergarten
(litteraly the beer garden), in particular the Englischer
Garten, at the foot of the Chinese tower.
A constant concern for
innovation and technology
Inhabitants of Munich have other favorite activities :
the culture, with an impressive cultural programming
and a variety of places, and the sport, with
sometimes unexpected disciplines like the surf,
which is practiced on an artificial wave initially
created to regulate the flow of the river that goes
through Munich, the Eisbach. Apart from ambient
hedonism, the transalpine influences are also found
in a permanent quest for aestheticism, a constant
concern for innovation and technology. Konstantin
Grcic, a designer born in Munich, recently confirmed
in an article published in the Express : « Munich isn’t
the center of the world, but there are interesting
people here, businesses, industries, artisans. We
should also mention the traditions, the cooking, the
simple life to which I am very much attached.
Munich is a city where we can work in peace.
Perhaps that’s an important part of the success… »
Konstantin Grcic, elected designer of the year in
2007 at the trade fair Now! Design à vivre/Maison &
Objet (his Chair One is already cult), is not the only
contemporary creator from Munich to be
internationally renowned. Numerous designers and
artists, young or confirmed talents, live and work
there. The maestro of light, Ingo Maurer himself,
who has long ago installed his workshops and
design studio in this city, has also opened a large
showroom at the beginning of the year.
Design and contemporary art,
across-the-board
Clemens Weisshaar, designer from Munich and former
assistant of Konstantin Grcic, is also positive : « In
Munich, the infrastructures are very reliable, the
weather is pleasant, the food and the quality of life are
good. The airport plays a crucial role for us : it is
Lufthansa’s hub for Germany’s South, which allows us
to easily go everywhere. We have our products done on
the outskirts of Munich and then shipped all around the
world. That represents an incredible resource… Even
though Munich is an integral part of Germany, the
Mediterranean influence is strongly felt, much more
than anywhere else in the country. Munich is nearer to
WHERE TO SLEEP IN MUNICH
Bayerischer Hof (6)
The historical palace of Munich,
inaugurated in 1841, has 363
rooms and suites, of which 45
have recently been rearranged
in a contemporary style, with
furniture and lamps by Philippe
Hurel. It always welcomes great
worldly appointments, but also
some more unexpected events,
such as a lecture series on design
organized this year. It should
be noted that the restaurant,
refurbished last summer, is
signed by the Belgian decorator
and antique dealer Axel Vervoordt
and that the staff is dressed by
another Belgian, Dries van Noten.
The Blue Spa, achieved by Andrée
Putman, is also a must. (see the
bars section).
Promenadeplatz 2-6
Tel. : 21 200
www.bayerischerhof.de
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