Modehaus Konen, Munich, Germany

Architect	Blocher Blocher
Date Built	2001
Location	Sendlinger Straße 3
Description
This building on Sendlinger Straße in Munich's city centre is home to the Konen fashion store. The store occupies two buildings: an older one that appears to date from 1910, according to the sculpture on its facade (see below), and a modern extension that sweeps dramatically around the corner. The architects responsible for the expansion and modernisation of the store, Blocher Blocher Partners, explain that they, "... carried out the most extensive remodelling of the traditional fashion store Modehaus Konen in the firm's history – and without a pause in operations. The firm, founded in 1936 in downtown Munich, was expanded in 2001 to about 12,500 square metres over six levels; 2008 saw further modernizations in interior design. In 2001, the architects gave the renovated, landmarked building segment a modern face using a sweeping glass façade." On one of the street-level pillars of the new extension is an historic plaque (see below). It points out that an earlier building, demolished in 1964 had occupied this site for 360 years going back to 1557. The architects add that in designing the new store they set out to ensure that, "... Shopping here should be fun, not a chore. ... To get to the upper floors, customers can take either the broad, central escalators or one of two panorama glass lifts. On the way up to the 4th level, they view the light-flooded house, capped by a giant glass dome: walls painted in pleasant colours, retail floors reorganized, goods presented clearly and accessibly."