In our restoration issue, we present an interesting selection of historical buildings that have been restored to a new standard at great expense. These include the former Premonstratensian monastery in Magdeburg, which has been extensively renovated over the years. We also take a look at the stonemasonry work in Vöhlinschloss in Frickenhausen, one of the buildings that received the Federal Award for Craftsmanship in the Preservation of Monuments. In conversation with Jan Richarz, the new master builder of Aachen Cathedral, you will also find out exciting details about the work on this UNESCO cultural heritage site.
Cover picture: Steffen Spitzner
Magdeburg Monastery
In our February issue, we present the “Unserer lieben Frauen” monastery in Magdeburg. The former Premonstratensian monastery now houses the art museum of the Saxon state capital. With the completion of decades of work, the history of the monastery and church as well as the national and international contemporary art on display there will take center stage. Regine Hartkopf, architect and master builder of the cathedral, was in charge of the project and developed a master plan for the renovation with her office “denk mal architektur” in 2004. Read more about this extraordinary project and its extraordinary creator from page 6.
Stonemasonry work at the Schlössle
On page 24, we take a look at one of Regine Hartkopf’s colleagues. Our author Anne Fischer spoke to Jan Richarz, who has been the master builder of Aachen Cathedral for a year now. The architectural historian with a doctorate in monument preservation talks about the challenges of his new job and reveals why his network of regional craftsmen is so important to him.
The Vöhlin Castle in the municipality of Frickenhausen in the Allgäu region shows that monument preservation and conservation would not be possible without the skilled trades. We present the stonemasonry work on the Schlössle, as the building is popularly known. Find out more from page 18.
Recycling as a tradition
It is now common knowledge that a large proportion of CO2 emissions are generated during construction. This is why the topic of the circular economy in the construction sector is becoming increasingly important.
Natural stone processors are setting a good example here. They have a long tradition of recycling. One example comes from Diepholz in Lower Saxony. Here, the company Stonepark has specialized in processing old paving stones. You can read about the economic viability of the business model from page 48 onwards.
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In the January issue of STEIN, we look at upmarket interior design using materials such as porphyry, wood and Vals quartzite. You can purchase the magazine here.
We hope you enjoy reading STEIN.
Your stone editors