The new service centre at the foot of the enormous statue of the allegorical figure of Bavaria literally opened its doors punctually for the beginning of the Oktoberfest, Munich’s famous annual beer festival. Three vertical-lift gates, each the full height of the building, rise to give access to the police, first aid and the festival offices, and also the Bavarian Red Cross, the fire brigade, technical standards, a lost property office and youth services. The building replaces a tenacious temporary structure in the same site, the Theresienwiese, the large open space in which the beer festival takes place, which has no other buildings on it. The new service centre is now the only permanent structure there, situated near the embankment to the west of the festival ground, but it is low, and its untreated copper skin will turn green, which will also help to keep it inconspicuous. The hermetically sealed façade is the result of the high security demands needed to protect against vandalism all the year round, particularly during the long periods when the building will stand empty for most of the time. The façade will then change into a smooth, entirely closed envelope, resisting unwanted visitors