With its benches, the Baubotanik grove creates a place where people can sit among the trees, linger, and enjoy the cooling shade of the tree canopies. At the same time—replacing the steel or concrete canopy that stood on the square before the redesign—it forms the green boundary of the space in front of St. Thomas More Church.
The goal of the design is to create a space that is not only functionally compelling but also demonstrates how plants can become part of a designed and built environment—an approach that has a long tradition, particularly in Bavaria: In the Middle Ages, many Bavarian towns and villages were home to so-called Tanzlinden—linden trees whose growth had been architecturally shaped, some of which even accommodated entire dance floors in their canopies. Some of these examples have survived to this day.
For the project, trees were specifically selected from a nursery and precisely measured using 3D laser scans. An expanded root zone beneath the plaza and an integrated rainwater management system were implemented to create the best possible growing conditions for the trees.
Screwing the benches to the tree trunks affects the living tissue only to a minor extent; this tissue is located primarily in the outer layers of the wood and the inner layers of the bark. The damage is limited to specific points; the drill hole is sealed with a washer, and the screw is routed through non-living wood inside the trunk. Long-term studies conducted by the Technical University of Munich and the University of Stuttgart, as well as comparable projects, show that the vitality of trees is generally not impaired by such connections—provided they are carried out properly.
The project specifically harnesses the natural growth and self-repair processes of trees. At the joints, callus tissue forms, gradually encasing the screws more tightly and securely. Since trees grow in height only at the tips of their shoots, the height of the benches does not change over time.
Instead of a concrete or steel canopy, Baubotanik creates green spaces and climate-regulating areas that are important for Munich and benefit the entire urban community.
