When Anna Schulte-Zurhausen of in situ architekten first assessed the main post office's façade, she delivered good news. The damage was manageable, and the condition of the façade allowed for an economically viable and historically sensitive restoration—one so expertly executed that it earned her the BDA Architecture Prize Essen 2023.

Yet action was urgently needed for this listed landmark opposite the main railway station and neighboring the soon-to-open "Königshof" on Willy-Brandt-Platz. Without intervention, deterioration would have accelerated—from compromised mortar joints in the clinker and natural stone masonry to failing roof seals and metal flashings. The team chose in-situ renovation: preserving the façade's authentic character while restoring it to original condition. "We prioritized protecting the existing fabric and reintegrating salvageable materials—original clinker and natural stones from the site," Schulte-Zurhausen explains. The monument authority collaborated throughout, approving cleaning methods, new materials, and precise details down to mortar specifications. The scope was comprehensive. The steel and concrete skeleton required inspection and targeted repairs: corrosion removal, old paint stripped, and a durable protective coating applied. Removed clinker bricks were then painstakingly reinstalled, supplemented where necessary with matching new units. Concealed reinforcement anchors and waterproofing measures secured the entire surface. Natural stone sections received equivalent care—displaced stones were professionally reset and regrouted, new stones carefully matched to the original. Window frames were partially replaced; remaining sashes received fresh paint. The transformation is remarkable: the façade now gleams as it did upon completion in 1933.

www.insitu-architekten.de

Photography:
Thomas Mayer
www.thomas-mayer-photo.de

(From CUBE Ruhrgebiet 02|24)