German artist Christoph Niemann has transformed a mundane underground parking garage in Munich's Bogenhausen district into a spectacular art installation that challenges conventional perceptions of architectural space. The project reimagines the concrete structure as a vibrant canvas featuring geometric forms, bright colors, and playful optical illusions reminiscent of 1970s aesthetics. Niemann's intervention breathes new life into the subterranean environment, creating what he describes as a "realm of possibilities" where spatial limitations dissolve through artistic manipulation. The garage, located beneath a villa designed by the Munich architecture firm Meier-Scupin after 2000, now serves as both functional parking and immersive art experience.

Working with the garage's inherent square strictness rather than against it, Niemann developed a composition that makes height, width, and length restrictions seemingly disappear. He explains that his goal was to break open the quadrangular space and give it a new dimension of dynamism and expansiveness. The installation employs trompe-l'oeil effects that sometimes make visitors feel as though they're standing on pedestals rather than the actual floor. By embracing the concrete medium rather than fighting it, Niemann reveals the inherent optimism and future-oriented spirit of underground architecture while simultaneously taking viewers on a temporal journey to the 1970s.

The artwork features colorful, almost garish impressions that create a network of connection icons, depicting ramps, streets, or perhaps even runways, prompting reflections on idealized mobility. Niemann approaches the theme critically but without the moralistic stagnation common in contemporary discussions, instead presenting mobility as both promise and problem. The smooth concrete walls and underground setting provide unique lighting conditions that enhance the visual impact, allowing floor, walls, and ceiling to flow together and create an endless space. This treatment aligns with British architecture historian Adrian Forty's 2012 observation that concrete, like language, is a universal medium capable of creating powerful spatial experiences.

The leap into three-dimensional architectural intervention represents both a major step and natural evolution for Niemann, who has long been fascinated by working with and within built environments. He previously staged similar spatial compositions at the Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf, though with fewer angular complexities. Though he once considered studying architecture, Niemann instead became a renowned graphic designer and illustrator, contributing regularly to The New Yorker. His father, a civil engineer, likely influenced his inclination toward mathematical thinking, though Niemann was deterred by the prospect of working with countless technical models. Instead, he now expands and interprets existing architectures.

Niemann has dedicated several works to Munich's iconic BMW headquarters, the famous four-cylinder building designed by Karl Schwanzer, exploring how illustration can reinterpret and abstract significant architectural landmarks. He found it fascinating to examine this concrete, important structure for Munich through illustrations that offer new perspectives. Similarly, in Bogenhausen, he abstracts the building type of the parking garage while simultaneously giving it a new, visually and spatially richer life. His fascination with the architecture of the mobile world consistently drives him to explore spaces connected to movement and transportation.

The parking garage transformation demonstrates how overlooked utilitarian spaces can become cultural destinations through artistic vision. As the space will eventually house the homeowners' collection of classic cars—including a Fiat 500 and vintage Mercedes—the art will create a dialogue between automotive design and graphic expression. This project exemplifies a growing trend where art and architecture merge to reimagine everyday environments, challenging viewers to see mundane spaces as potential canvases for creative intervention. Niemann's work proves that even the most functional concrete structures can host imaginative worlds that expand our perception of what architecture can be.