The sophisticated refurbishment of the National Library at Strasbourg requires special construction techniques PASCHAL-Werk G. Maier
LOGO.3 system formwork and innovative climbing systems enable prompt concrete pouring
Strasbourg is without a doubt a heavyweight among European cities. The European Parliament, the Council of Europe, the European Court for Human Rights – and numerous other major institutions – are all based here. Its settlement history can be traced to the first centuries B.C. – and was initially shaped by the Gauls, Romans and the Germanic tribes, soon thereafter by Franconians and Suabians – and in more modern times, by the French and the Germans. It was here that Gutenberg's Bible was printed; here was where the poet Goethe once studied.
In France, numerous major buildings are located on the Place de la République. In Strasbourg, one of these is very large and circular in shape. It is surrounded by the Prefecture of the Département, the Ministry of Culture and Communication, and the Minstry of Finance – among other buildings, including the Bibliothèque Nationale et Universitaire.
In the Franco-German War (1870-1871), the Dominikanerkirche church in Strasbourg was destroyed by Prussian artillery fire – along with its side wing which housed the metropolitan library and metropolitan archives; as a result, many irreplaceable historical documents were lost. On this site, the New Church (Temple Neuf) was erected. By contrast, the new library was order built in an area which at the time was called the Kaiserplatz. According to drafts by the architects Skjold Neckelmann and August Hartel, it was built between 1889 and 1894, in the style of historicism. It had two simultaneous functions: as a national library and a university library. Over time, it became the second-largest library in France.
However, the structural over 100 years old substance of this building which stands under monument conservation was increasingly unable to meet the modern requirements in terms of structural engineering, fireproofing etc. So the rector of the University of Strasbourg - along with the director of municipal administration – decided to implement a complete refurbishment in which the exterior front, the roof and numerous inner structures were to remain intact, and this circumstance significantly complicated this undertaking. A total construction cost of 61 million EUR was proposed.
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27 January 2012
