Wiederherstellung der historischen Fassade am Thurn und Taxis Palais in Frankfurt

Restoration of the historical façade of the Palais Thurn und Taxis in Frankfurt - Experience with façade development and renovation of the historical appearance.

The renovation of the Palais Thurn und Taxis in Frankfurt am Main occupies a significant position among façade redevelopments nationwide in the last few years. The aim of the task was to recreate the outer walls as closely to the original as possible. In doing so, huge value was placed on the authenticity of their appearance and the materials used, and the first stage was an extensive investigation into all of the details of the façade. The research was conducted in the Bibliotheque National de Paris archives (the notes of the architect Robert de Cotte), the archives and court library of the Thurn und Taxis in Regensburg, the Historical Museum in Frankfurt am Main and the Institute for the History of the City, also in Frankfurt am Main. Thanks to this, a surprising number of questions could be answered regarding the construction, window details and colour scheme. Furthermore, investigations into the few remaining sandstone bricks were carried out while paying attention to the historical colour scheme, as well as cleaning methods. As a result there were significant findings, which could then be introduced into the detailed designs of the façade.
In this article we will report on the challenges of - but also the experience gathered during - the reconstruction of the facades of the Palais Thurn und Taxis in Frankfurt; especially against the background of a noticeable increase in the number of historical reconstructions and renovations.