Graggenau: Marienplatz

Marienplatz is Munich’s historic civic centre and the point from which much of the old town is understood. The Neues Rathaus, Altes Rathaus and Mariensäule frame a space used for ceremonies, markets, demonstrations and everyday meeting. Pedestrian streets radiate toward Kaufingerstraße, Viktualienmarkt, Tal and Odeonsplatz, while the S-Bahn and underground station make the square one of the busiest points in the city. The interest lies in the continuity of the built fabric: older façades, courtyards and street proportions remain part of ordinary use rather than functioning as isolated monuments. Housing, work, retail and leisure overlap within short distances, creating convenience and street activity but also a more intensive sound and movement environment. Compact blocks and interior courtyards mediate between active street fronts and quieter private spaces, producing a distinctly walkable inner-city scale.