Blue Hall, Kassel

2023 Author: Hannah Pearcy | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-26 11:39

The Blue Hall in Kassel, inaugurated in 1914, survived two wars. Looking back on an eventful history.

With its royal blue walls and bright golden decorative elements, it has been an impressive backdrop for festivities and festive occasions for more than a century. However, the time did not pass the 450 square meter heart of the Kassel town hall completely without a trace. And so in summer 2016 the most extensive renovation of the hall had been planned since it opened more than a hundred years ago.

The shorter the time, the more precise the planning

The Schalles Malerwerkstätten GmbH and the painting and cleaning business Gebrüder Christ GmbH were commissioned with the renovation work. Both companies worked together in the impressive hall, which can seat 660 people. Schalles took over the technical management, Christ the commercial. “The complexity and the tight time frame of just six weeks made this project a challenge for us,” explains Piotr Slupczynski, who works as a graduate restorer at Schalles. “Because of these framework conditions, our planning had to be as detailed as possible. Before starting work - and thus in ongoing operation - we therefore carried out a large number of samples and thus determined what materials and technology we need. During the entire implementation period, we were always deployed with ten to twelve men."

Graduate restorer Piotr Slupczynski takes a closer look at the magnificent wall decorations in the Blue Hall.

Streak-free and sustainable

One of the core tasks of the renovation was not just to re-gild 3,500 meters of moldings and an abundance of rosettes and other decorations: around 4,000 square meters of wall and ceiling surfaces in the original shade of blue also had to be given a new shine. The Caparol product Indeko-plus was used for this. The resistant emulsion paint can also be applied to large areas without streaks, thus ensuring homogeneous surfaces and a harmonious overall picture. It is also solvent-free, has a very long shelf life and is particularly sustainable.

After the original shade was prepared, Caparol revived the rich blue with Indeko Plus.

Pattern axis from floor to ceiling

Before the painting work could start, however, restorer Slupczynski had to identify the original, intense blue shade - also a requirement for monument conservation. “We were dealing with a heavily revised surface,” he explains. “New layers of blue paint had been applied over and over again. I worked my way through it to finally prepare the original sound.”The project participants tested all the colors and products in a two-meter-wide sample axis that went from floor to ceiling and anticipated the final state of the hall today.

Detailed view of the coffered ceiling: shiny gold rosettes stand out impressively from the blue-black background.

An integral part of monument conservation

The rich blue finally gave Caparol a new lease of life with Indeko-plus. “The special shade can now be reproduced exactly with our product. This is of course important for a hall where a lot of celebrations take place, in order to be able to make small repairs every now and then,”explains Peter Schmidt, planner and property consultant from DAW. "In addition, the emulsion paint is extremely abrasion-resistant and highly abrasion-resistant." A cassette door and parapets of loggias have been reworked with Capalac silk matt varnish, which is not only extremely color-stable, but also scores with its high impact and shock resistance. "We regularly work with Caparol," concludes the restorer. “The company is an integral part of the market in monument conservation. In our experience, the company works very customer-oriented, quickly and professionally."

The work is done: Wilhelm Schalles (left) and Piotr Slupczynski in the Blue Hall.

Author: Katharina Mandlinger

Photos: OKTOGON Verlag / Andreas Berthe l