If you’re on a very short trip to Munich then the Endless Staircase Munich is probably not a must-see sight on your touristic radar – but it‘s a fascinating piece of street art nonetheless.
Encountering Sculptures, Street Art, Monuments, Statues and Fountains in Munich as you walk about the city is commonplace, but you’ll need to be in-the-know to find this exceptional piece of geometric art.
The Endless Staircase Munich is a firm favourite with photographers, Instagrammers and Tik Tokers alike, and you’ll often also see art students sketching the installation perhaps as part of their studies on geometrical shapes.
In this article, we tell you Everything You Need to Know about the Endless Staircase Munich, so if you’re planning to visit this awesome piece of Bavarian Street Art, then this blog is all the ammunition you’ll require to get the best out of your visit.
Who Built The Endless Staircase in Munich?
The inspiration and build of the Endless Staircase was the brainchild of Danish-Icelandic artist Ólafur Elíasson who is also responsible for some other iconic pieces of art throughout the Bavarian Capital.
Ólafur’s staircase sculpture was produced entirely of steel. Stands at around 9 meters tall and takes the shape of a Double Helix.
Created in 2004 under a commission from KPMG (who are well known to support the arts) the sculpture is actually located in the courtyard of their office building in the Schwanthalerhöhe district of Munich.
Elíasson favours the use of elementals such as light, water, air and temperature to showcase his artistic talents and that’s certainly evident in this sort of Stairway to Heaven representation.
What Does The Endless Staircase Represent?
Like most pieces of art it depends who you ask! But according to initial information detailed by Elíasson, the Endless Staircase is meant to represent “Movement Without Destination”, or something similar anyway.
In fact, the REAL NAME of the Endless Staircase is actually “Umschreibung”, a German word that pretty much means ‘Circumscription’ or ‘Periphrasis’ both of which seem a little contradictory to the above.
But regardless, try telling a Münchner the installation’s actual name, and no….it’ll be referred to as none other than Die endlose Treppe (The Endless Staircase).
We think that the location itself within bustling city offices, is likely representative of the fact that life is a continuous motion rather than a destination but of course, only the artist himself really knows!
For us here at Absolute Munich, we’re just glad that Munich is supportive of the arts so we can all enjoy street art about the city, no matter what its meaning!
Where is the Endless Staircase Munich Located
The Endless Staircase is located in the Schwanthalerhöhe (Westend) District of the City which is directly west of Munich Old Town.
The staircase is only a couple of hundred meters due west from the Ruhmeshalle Munich and the Bavaria Statue Munich both of which are on the Theresienwiese – the city’s famous Oktoberfest Grounds and only meters from Bavariapark.
The staircase is in the outdoor courtyard of the KPMG building which is located at Ganghoferstr. 29, 80339 Munich, Bavaria, Germany.
Getting There By Train:
U4 or U5 Underground lines service underground (U-Bahn) station Schwanthalerhöhe which is only about 50 meters away. After exiting the underground, walk towards Ganghoferstraße and turn left
Getting There By Bus:
Plenty of bus stops nearby at Schwanthalerhöhe on bus routes 134, 153 and 53
Getting There on Foot:
Use Google Maps or equivalent. The walk will take you around 40 minutes from the center of the city but there is heaps to see on the way out here.
Understand the best transport option by reading our Getting Around Munich article and perhaps make use of all the Maps of Munich we have available also.
What Do I Need To Know Before Visiting the Staircase
- NO. You cannot climb the structure. This was permitted many years ago but the practice has long since been discouraged.
- This is one of Munich’s most photographed pieces of art and is one of the most photographed places in the city overall.
- KPMG are a professional services company that usually specialise in accountancy services.
- This architectural marvel actually supports itself through clever balance.
- Olafur Eliasson lived and worked in Munich for two years but actually now resides in Berlin. He has artistic installations in places as far as New York, Mexico City and Los Angeles.
- Made entirely of steel the real name of the construction is Umschreibung
- To get stunning photos of the Endless Staircase make sure you are aware of the suns position as the courtyard can be quite dark especially in winter.
Endless Staircase Munich: We Love It!
If you are into arts and have time to kill in Munich then this attraction is very much worth making the effort to visit.
There is loads to see and do in the area as the locality is packed with Museums, Walks, Parks, and a plethora of other local attractions. There are a number of really cool cafes, beer gardens, and the like very close by also so you certainly won’t go hungry or thirsty on a visit to Munich’s Endless Staircase.
Have you been? What doid did you think of this piece of modern Bavarian street art? Let us know via our Contact Page
Cheers guys and thanks for reading, more on this area coming to the Absolute Munich website real soon.
