Pioneering lifestyle aparthotel brand Locke welcomes the next chapter in its European expansion with the launch of WunderLocke: a hospitality concept unlike any other in Munich, and the most ambitious Locke to date. The highly anticipated opening will be available for short- and long-stays from 17th July 2022, giving locals and visitors alike a new base from which to explore the up-and-coming neighbourhood of Sendling.
Designed by acclaimed interior architects Holloway Li, WunderLocke features 360 spacious design-led apartments, a large co-working area, coffee shop, meeting and event spaces as well as an outdoor heated swimming pool, sauna and workout studio. In signature Locke style, WunderLocke features a mix of spacious studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, some of which include a private terrace and breath-taking panoramic views of the city and the Bavarian Alps. Each apartment is designed to be lived in, underscoring the aparthotel’s focus on mid- to extended- stay via special rates for weekly and monthly stays, and its ambition to become a welcome space for the city’s burgeoning undercurrent of artists, creatives and tech entrepreneurs.
Opening in August, WunderLocke will also house a food and drink concept unparalleled in Germany in the form of ‘Mural Farmhouse’: five food and drink destinations spread across seven floors conceived by the founders of revered local Michelin-starred restaurant, Mural.
The ambitious food and drink concept will include ‘Mural Farmhouse Restaurant’, a 70-cover all-day restaurant, ‘Mural Farmhouse Fine Dining’, a fine dining Chef’s Table, ‘Mural Farmhouse Café’, a coffee shop, a wine and cocktail bar, and ‘Mural Farmhouse Rooftop’, a rooftop with panoramic views of the Bavarian Alps. The vision for Mural Farmhouse has been developed in collaboration with internationally recognised chef Rico Birndt and puts circularity at the heart of its approach. Influenced by the farm-to-table movement, food will be supplied by local and regional producers; and once matured, a rooftop urban farm will provide handpicked seasonal herbs and vegetables for the restaurant.
Created in collaboration with Holloway Li, the design for WunderLocke is inspired by the Vasily Kandinsky theory of ‘Innerer Klang’ (inner voice). Kandinsky, who spent a significant period of his career in Munich, explored how we can develop a closer relationship to nature through abstraction. Holloway Li has interpreted the artist’s theory by stripping back the existing building to reveal its raw concrete frame – a nod to the neighbourhood’s industrial past, from which offshoots of renewal could be cultivated represented using planting throughout.
This approach also allowed Holloway Li to embed sustainable design practices into the development of the building, celebrating the bones of WunderLocke’s original structure without over cladding and excessive development. To soften the concrete frame of the building, Holloway Li used earthy tones and sumptuous materials alongside playful pops of colour and vivid terrazzo; while warm timbers, natural materials, and botanical greens refer to nature.
WunderLocke will provide a new creative hub in the South-West of Munich – reinvigorating the area’s industrial heritage. With plenty of transport links to the vibrant city centre and within easy reach of the serene Bavarian Alps, WunderLocke will be a day-to-night destination with an evolving cultural programme centered on wellness, music, art, food and drink. In the spirit of spotlighting emerging creative talent in Munich, the aparthotel has forged several collaborations with local businesses including lifestyle and music duo Public Possession and fashion brand, Coexist.
“WunderLocke is our most boundary-breaking Locke to date, creating a destination in the heart of Munich where locals and travellers alike can immerse themselves in the creative sub-culture of the city. Our ambition with this project was to create a wonderland, where you lose a sense of time and journey seamlessly throughout the day, from the co-working space, coffee shop and swimming pool, to Mural Farmhouse and its skyline bar in the evening.” – Eric Jafari, Chief Development Officer & Creative Director, Locke.
“The scale of WunderLocke enabled us to imagine a completely original culinary concept. It is a unique destination, and we wanted to reflect that in our concept for Mural Farmhouse – approaching it based on the same spirit and on the same philosophy of all the restaurants of the Mural family to create an original immersive gastronomic experience.” – Moritz Meyn, Founder, Mural
Room rates at WunderLocke start from €130 per night and €1300 per month.
