Hude monastery ruins
The ruins of the monastery at Hude (Oldenburg) were extensively renovated from 1982 to 1983. This included building a stair-shaped weathering layer using lead screeding on the historic brickwork so that this plastic barrier could prevent water from seeping into the ruins′ structure.
The impact of frost and subsequent settlement of wild foxes, however, meant the northern transept of the ruins in particular was so badly affected that a performance on this historic floor was in doubt due to the existing danger.
The municipality of Hude, the State Office for monument maintenance and finally also the land owner therefore decided to let Rope Access Solutions take care of the safety and maintenance work.
Led by architect Beier (Angelis + Partners / Oldenburg) and watched by numerous visitors, a stonemason specialist and two height workers fully restored the multi-levelled kiln car lining in two days and removed the flourishing root network of an old birch tree.
During this work, extensive appraisals and damage surveys were conducted so that a well-founded and cost-transparent estimate could be made for further renovation work in the entire area of the monastery ruins.
The entire complex was then renovated in 2006 by five height workers who are specialist tradesmen with experience in monument protection. In just four weeks, the entire brickwork was restored and secured. A check-up on the work from 2005 showed that the process chosen at the time was successful and sustainable.
The weeds were completely removed from all sections; in some parts, weathered grooves had to be evened out in large areas and re-joined, always making sure the aesthetic character of the ruin was retained. This method sets a high standard for joining, as both sustainability and aesthetic factors had to be taken into account. The figurative pedestal stones also posed a similar problem. Here, however, the cracks were so big in parts that sections of the figures had to be remodelled. In some areas, the cracks were so deep that it was no longer possible to just join them, but rather, they had to be grouted, which required a high degree of flair for material and execution because of the figures' condition. This task was also able to be completed to the utmost satisfaction of the architect and the client.
Apart from the cost enormous saving by using height workers (costs totalled only 1/3 of the costs for conventional renovation), the strain on the ruins and park complex were also reduced to a minimum compared to if scaffolding had been put up. This meant no large load distributions were laid out in the park, nor any scaffolding anchors fitted to the historic brickwork. The park could continue to be used for tourist activities. By doing away with scaffolding, the construction time could also be greatly reduced.
