Preserving culture – The stone in February 2024

Building design
Cover picture: Steffen Spitzner

Cover picture: Steffen Spitzner

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The magazine is available here in the store.

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

POTREBBE INTERESSARTI ANCHE

As the population increases, so does the density stress in Swiss cities and conurbations. At the same time, outdoor recreation and sport are becoming more important. A 2014 publication on the greater Zurich area provides examples of how existing green spaces can be made more accessible. Pieter Poldervaart analyzes the results in the December issue of G+L. The study Freiraumnetz Zürich can be […]

As the population increases, so does the density stress in Swiss cities and conurbations. At the same time, outdoor recreation and sport are becoming more important. A 2014 publication on the greater Zurich area provides examples of how existing green spaces can be made more accessible. Pieter Poldervaart analyzes the results in the December issue of G+L. You can download the Freiraumnetz Zürich study here.

8.42 million people lived in Switzerland in 2017, compared to 7.08 million or 19 percent fewer twenty years ago. In the past, this annual growth of one percent and the increasing demand for living space per capita was accompanied by a partly unchecked urban sprawl. Greater Zurich is particularly affected by the rapid growth in the resident population. Three million people live in the perimeter defined as the Zurich metropolitan area, which includes not only the canton of Zurich but also numerous municipalities in neighboring cantons and even in neighboring southern Germany.

Forecasts suggest that 30,000 people per year will continue to move to Switzerland’s economic center. In addition to housing and jobs, these people also need recreational space. In 2014, the Zurich Metropolitan Area Association therefore published an outline that shows the way to a “settlement-related open space network” – as the title suggests. In addition to describing the problem, the guide aims to show how existing recreational areas can be upgraded and new ones created and how planning is possible across municipal and cantonal boundaries. You can download the study here.

You can read the full article in G+L 12/18.

One brick prize, many awards

Building design
Main prizewinner of the German Brick Award 2019

City library

German Brick Award 2019 presented – one prize, many awards for exemplary energy projects

The results of the German Brick Award 2019 were announced on February 1: 120 submissions of exemplary energy-efficient brick projects from all over Germany made the decision difficult for the jury, chaired by Piero Bruno from the Berlin office of Bruno Fioretti Marquez. The high design quality ultimately led to a large number of awards – two main prizes, six special prizes in various categories and eight commendations.

The main prize for monolithic construction was deservedly awarded to Harris + Kurrle Architekten from Stuttgart for the municipal library in Rottenburg am Neckar. The jury praised “the sensitive positioning of the remarkable new building as a communicative and contemplative place in the fabric of the city”. It also praised the public building for its skillful, creative use of monolithic exterior wall constructions made of highly insulating bricks.

An extension

The main prize for multi-shell construction went to the remarkable extension to the Philosophy Department of the University of Münster by Peter Böhm Architekten from Cologne. “The building, modestly described as a ‘shelf wall’, cleverly incorporates the existing listed building and forms an attractive façade opposite the historic Fürstenberghaus,” said the jury. “In this case, the haptic brick becomes synonymous with sensual appeal and a cleverly reduced, ornamental appearance.”

A special prize for energy efficiency

Several special prizes were also awarded, including one for “Cost-effective, energy-efficient multi-storey residential construction”. This was won by the Ulm-based firm Braunger Wörtz Architekten with their project at Vorwerkstrasse 23/1 in Neu-Ulm. The new building for the Neu-Ulm housing association (NUWOG) comprises 31 publicly subsidized, barrier-free rental apartments in a six-storey building and is designed as a KfW Efficiency House 70. The jury: “The uncomplicated design with monolithic brick exterior walls, which are finished with a white cement scratch coat that does not require painting, guarantees this residential building a low-maintenance, long life.”

Awarded by: Ziegelzentrum Süd e.V. in cooperation with the
Federal Ministry of the Interior
www.ziegel.com

The exhibition can be seen until February 15, 2019 at the Haus der Architektur, Waisenhausstraße 4 in Munich. It will then travel to various universities.

Photos: Roland Halbe; Lukas Roth; Erich Spahn