The Rejuvenated Dish

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

In order to be able to integrate and use the neo-baroque courthouse in Düsseldorf in the Andreas quarter, it needed restoration and refurbishment.

Author: Dr. Alexandra Nyseth | Photos: Falko Behr / Nüthen

In terms of monument preservation, we have committed ourselves to certain core areas that are open to the public,”explains Matthias Berg. “This includes the facades of the building and inside the entrance area with the large hall, the large distribution hall behind it, the corridors on the first, second and third floors - as far as they are publicly visible - and the four side staircases. These areas have also been restored accordingly.

Nüthen Restoration started restoration in 2014: “We started with parts of the facade,” explains site manager Christian Gierke. The restorers used mineral colors and glazes to work on the facade. The plaster on the cloister facade was preserved and partially supplemented. Sandra Meinholz, head restorer: “There is an area of the facade on the delivery alley where the cornice was made of concrete. The concrete was renovated here and then coated with Keim Concretal, on which we then dabbed two more shades with natural sponges to imitate the natural stone.”

With mineral products …

“The condition before the restoration inside the building was catastrophic: it was dark and dirty, sometimes even gypsum boards and wooden cladding were nailed to the walls,” recalls Christian Gierke. "In the foyer, we discovered the historical stock of the color versions under the last surfaces, on the basis of which we created the sample areas in cooperation with the monument office." Sandra Meinholz adds: "We glazed the blue of the multi-storey walls of the second and third floors with a diluted sol - silicate paint. The historical color findings were determined and determined with the NCS color system."

Restored using old techniques

On the first, second and third floors, the restorers reconstructed the historical stone imitation painting using a stipple winding technique. "We wrapped the first color with a firm nettle cloth, then the second color was dabbed with a natural sponge," explains Gierke.

The stenciling was used extensively in the ceiling painting of the stairwells. The restorers reconstructed the paintings in shape and color based on historical evidence. On the basis of these findings, they made multi-stroke stencils with which they dabbed the different colors. "Here, the restorers worked overhead at the top of the stairwell," explains Gierke. On the ceilings in a connecting wing, which is now the reception of a hotel, there were still remnants of the historical design, which were supplemented with Reversil.

Other restoration work in the interior, which extended from January 2017 to October of the same year, also included the exposure and repainting of the stucco ceilings as well as the artificial stone restoration and cleaning in the area of the stairs and the plinth.

Persuasion

"The interplay of the dark blue paint with the imitating stone walls and the architectural elements columns and base made of natural stone and artificial stone results in a solemn but also an expressive colourfulness", summarizes Matthias Berg and further explains: "It has a lot of convincing to do with the architect and investor cost to reconstruct the blue color again, because both were for a gray-white solution.”The facade on the street side remained unchanged, the one on the other sides largely preserved.

Successful integration

After the careful restoration and the successful conversion of the listed building, the entrance hall of the old building with gastronomy is now open to the public. Offices, apartments, a conference and seminar center and apartments of a hotel are located in the other parts of the building.

More about this courthouse:

bit.ly/2zv8FDK

PraxisPlus

Products used

Germ Reversil

Germ Optil

Germ Soliprim

Germ concretal

Germ Soldalit