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MAGYAR
POLSKI |
A suitable degree of empathy is required when dealing with historically important architecture. The extreme adaptability of perforated sheeting once again became apparent during the planning of an external access to the Orban Hall, which is part of a former Jesuit college.
During his lifetime, the Southern German Jesuit Father Ferdinand Orban was an avid collector of rarities. To create room for his overflowing collection, a floor was added in 1725 to a Jesuit college building dating from the 16th century – this became the Orban Hall. Fast forward to 1993 – the college has, in the meanwhile, long been the home of the Catholic University of Eichstätt. The ground floor arcade was converted to a library, an additional staircase was thus required as an external access to the hall lo-cated on the above floor.
Karl Frey, a native of Eichstätt and the diocesan master builder since 1992 is intimately acquainted with the entire complex, all of which lies under monument protection. “In reality all I had to build was a staircase”, is how he summarises the job. Those who know how he works though, know that the result was much more than an unadorned staircase. This means: “unadorned” ok – but he didn’t leave it at “only” that. Because it was his responsibility not to negatively affect the architectural quality of the historical building, Frey decided to position a glass cube very close to, but not directly on the baroque building. The building behind the transparent cube can be seen behind the new structure.
The diagonal of the staircase intersecting the cube was also not to impair this view. For this reason, Frey saw to it that the rail-ings suspended in front of the wall, made from almost black perforated sheeting, ran in a line – even though the cantilever steel stairs had a landing halfway up. Only the handrail is offset in order to maintain the distance to the steps. Such a simple yet brilliant trick.
The master builder drew attention to two particularly interesting phenomena of perforated sheeting. As a railing, he believes it creates – as opposed to glass – a sense of safety. And: “When perforated sheeting is painted with a bright colour, it becomes “closed”, in contrast when painted black it becomes very transparent.” It is precisely in such subtle observations that the class of an architect becomes apparent. And it also shows in the skilful dealings with this material. As previously mentioned: ... in reality only a staircase, however ...
