Here's a quick lesson in building "modernization" (and I use the term advisedly). This is actually one single building-- look closely and notice how the parapets on the top corners are of the same design-- but the right side of the building (apparently owned by somebody else-- that happens here) has been updated. Like a lot of buildings of this vintage, this portion of the building simply has its red brick surface stuccoed over and painted, the parapet roof covered in green copper cladding, and all architectural elements like the stone window frames-- the only things of interest really-- buried and/or removed. Granted, the dark red brick building is so commonplace here that well-meaning landlords are trying to jazz things up to make it more attractive to potential renters sometimes-- but this is a clumsy attempt. Bit of a shame really-- the rest of this building ain't half bad.
3 comments:
One would think that there would be some sort of preservation society in place to prevent buildings like that from losing their "flare", as it were.
BTW: when I was younger, I had hoped to become an "expat...living in Germany." Thank you for your posts!
Bea, if I may — There are those kinds of restrictions, but they don't apply everywhere to everything and there is a certain amount of subjectivity involved. For 5 years my wife and I lived in an apartment in a house originally built in 1648. The "Denkmalschutz" prevented our landlady from changing the outer structure of that building in order to provide a modern balcony and supplemental means of egress. I suspect, in this case, that the building in question here simply isn't old enough to be covered under the concept of "monumental protection" (i.e., my loose translation of "Denkmalschutz.").
Bea: Cliff is correct-- there is a very loose interpretation to the preservation rules here, and it seemingly changes from building-to-building. Our building was built in 1899, but they added new balconies in 2008, and at the same time our apartment itself was also created in the now-gutted basement where the old boilers resided (the actual coal chute was walled in, and now houses our wine rack). Not that our building would win any awards for being a looker though... Other nearby apartments of the same vintage as ours get sheathed in what amounts to be 4-6" of styrofoam with a light layer on concrete over it-- that's insulation simply applied to the exterior walls of the building, and trust me, when you've endured some of the winters here that stuff is most welcome, aesthetics be damned.
It's never too late to follow your dreams and head on over to Europe-- It certainly helps to have some knowledge of the language if you plan to live outside of Berlin or Munich though. Though I gather you are in the midst of a European move and do speak some German-- in other words, you are better prepared than we were!
Thanks for your comment!
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