ÖZKD LXXVII Heft 3 Generalsanierung Parlament, pp. 117-124, 2024/04/17
Generalsanierung des Parlamentsgebäudes 2018–2022
Theophil Hansen’s idea of Greek-style polychromy is ubiquitous throughout the rooms of the parliament building. However, not all of the surfaces have survived to this day; many have simply been covered up over the decades. The library is a case in point: here, numerous usage-related changes, renovations and additions have greatly altered and impacted the appearance of this part of the building. The original design and interior of the library hall were retraced as part of the research effort for the restoration project. The well-preserved wooden furnishings and the essentially unaltered spatial structure of the hall attracted the interest of monument conservators, who recognised the potential for restoration here. The planning phase focused on such matters as devising a concept for dealing with the individual spaces and material surfaces; during this stage, the restorers set up test areas in the library. In addition to the treatment of the wooden, stone and metal surfaces, the exemplary partial reconstruction of the interior was intended to convey an idea of the appearance that could be achieved. This article provides insights into the concept, implementation and outcome of this partial reconstruction.
