The listed St. Petri town church in the heart of Dortmund is a place for everyone. Visitors can find peace and quiet in the church, but also attend various events. The 16th-century Antwerp altar in the choir is a marvel to behold. Renovation work on the sacred building began in spring 2022. The walls and vaults were dirty and the base showed signs of moisture damage. To carry out the work, scaffolding was erected inside the church up to the vaults. In view of the wide range of functions that the church serves, it was also necessary to develop a new exhibition and lighting concept. The Dortmund-based firm Spital-Frenking + Schwarz Architekten was entrusted with this extensive task. Since July 2023, the church has been shining in new splendour. The architectural firm received recognition for its exemplary renovation at the BDA Architecture Prize Dortmund, Hamm, Unna 2023.

The material and colour of the existing plaster were determined by an art historian. This formed the basis for the use of lime plaster and paint. The vaults and thus also the ridges made of natural stone were destroyed during the Second World War. In order to highlight the ridges, a colour tone was chosen that approximates the colour of the existing natural stone. The existing parquet flooring was sanded and varnished. During the renovation, asbestos was found in the side vaults. In order to ensure the removal of the asbestos, the actual renovation work had to be suspended for six months (mid to late 2022). In collaboration with the lighting design firm lightmosphere, the architectural firm developed a lighting concept. Light tubes with installed luminaires were installed at the height of the capitals on the columns and at the corners of the walls. Floor luminaires complement the light from below in the same location. The entire system can be used to create individual atmospheres. A newly constructed technical room enables the lighting to be controlled. New light rails illuminate the permanent exhibition on history and the altar, as well as the areas of the temporary exhibition. 

Before the restoration work could begin, the restorer dusted off the altar and the figures remaining in the church. Once this was complete, she cleaned the altar and figures of dust and dirt that had accumulated over the decades. The wooden figures in the church were grouped together conceptually. A group of figures was mounted on metal consoles on the south wall in the entrance area, based on the historical model. This group consists of figures from the pulpit that was destroyed in the Second World War. In order to meet a wide range of requirements, four pieces of furniture were designed for the entrance area. These pieces of furniture fulfil the tasks of presentation, information, monitoring and storage, are movable and have an electrical connection. In addition, donation and votive candle boxes in the same design complement the interior. The old steel rods for the votive candles were refurbished, brass-plated, fitted with new glass panes and embedded in the new cabinets.

www.spitalfrenking-schwarz.de

Photos:
Philip Kistner
www.philipkistner.com

(From CUBE Ruhrgebiet 02|24)