Design
Munich Is Having a Fight About Skyscrapers
Faced with a housing crunch, the city is easing height restrictions in some areas. But opponents fear new towers will block views without improving affordability.
The twin towers of the 500-year-old Frauenkirche still dominate the skyline of Munich — and activists are determined to keep it that way.
Photo:Peter Kneffel/picture alliance via Getty Images
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If you look across central Munich on a clear day from vantage points in the city’s north, you catch a dazzling view of spires rising against the backdrop of the Alps south of the city — an almost pristine view (bar a few chimneys) that belies the comparative modernity of the city at ground level.