As far as Platzes go, Effnerplatz was a problem. It was, and remains, a tram terminus. But with the long-awaited new extension of tram line 16 to toney St. Emmeram, the good burghers of Munich felt the need to tart up this bleak, traffic-tortured roundabout.
And tart it, they did. Iowan sculptress Rita McBride, then resident in Munich, won the design competition for a public sculpture with a six-story, two tonne abstract homage to Mae West's voluptuous figure. Engineering the grande dame's curves demanded high-tech, light weight composites, since she stands over a freeway tunnel. (http://www.compositesworld.com/articles/mae-west-pipe-dream-in-munich). Builders craned her bustiere in to place in the spring of 2011. (http://vimeo.com/32972116)
Reactions from Miss West's public are mixed. Most seem to find her a tad under-dressed. Mayor Christian Ude thinks she looks like something form the hardware store. Others wonder if, indeed, she is finished. Since the artwork was designed to be minimalist, perhaps we citizens should decorate her for Christmas, Or at least use her frame to house a reactor core.
So, if you happen to be taking tram 16 to St. Emmeram, why don't you check in from beneath her petticoat? read more