The Building Department of the City of Munich has commissioned the competition winners, artist Olaf Metzel and landscape architects BUND K, with the ‘umsonst und draußen’ project for the design of Bauhausplatz in Domagkpark.
The fountain sculpture by Olaf Metzel in the centre of the square creates a sense of identity for the new quarter in the Schwabing-Freimann district; the square forms the entrance to the adjoining park to the east.
The ‘bench’ motif was used as a central element and symbol for the public and consumer-free space. The benches are arranged in groups next to each other, singly or irregularly and organise the square. In the central area of the square, in a hexagonal arrangement, the benches are stacked up to eight metres high as a fountain sculpture. Water flows down from numerous bench slats into the fountain basin, which is flush with the ground.
Individual slats were replaced by white polycarbonate panels with LED light sources as luminaires. This eliminated the need for additional site lighting, such as traditional lampposts.
