More tower parts, the crane arms and more counterweights will follow in the coming days. The second example is then set up with the help of the first construction crane. For Glagla and his colleagues, working on Cologne’s tallest residential building is routine.
But the 34-year-old is happy about the reactions of residents and passers-by: “People are very surprised at how impressive the truck-mounted crane is. Most of the time you see grinning faces and lots of photos are taken.” Once the construction cranes are in place, the renovation of the balconies will begin in late summer.
Conservation is a sticking point
Exactly 50 years ago, the first residents of Cologne moved into the Axa high-rise. Just twelve years after the keys were handed over, the first balconies began to crumble. With the knowledge available at the time, the planners had only estimated the wind forces to be about half as strong as they really were. And they used exposed aggregate concrete, in which moisture settles well and makes the balconies brittle.
Norbert Wansleben is the architect of the renovation project. A sticking point in his work: The building is a listed building. “Actually, we would have to replace the existing parapet with a similar one,” says Wansleben. But firstly, that is disproportionately expensive and secondly, the same problems will arise again in the foreseeable future. “We have significant damage to the parapets, which poses a risk,” says the architect.
The balcony railings are a birth defect. Norbert Wansleben, architect
Refurbishment of the Axa high-rise costs 27 million euros
He and his team have developed a balcony facade made of glass and aluminum that is significantly lighter, more weather-resistant and cheaper than aggregate concrete. Because the appearance of the listed high-rise building must not change significantly, they printed the glass surfaces in the style of the old aggregate concrete facade. In the end, the city conservator decides whether this was successful and whether the high-rise can keep its monument status.
The renovation project is expected to cost 27 million euros. Because these are all condominiums, the residents have to bear the costs themselves: 950 euros per square meter, which corresponds to 66,500 euros for a 70 square meter apartment. Norbert Wansleben says that after more than ten years of planning, one thing is particularly important: “The residents are very happy that after this long phase of struggling to find the right solution, things are finally starting.”
The local time from Cologne reported on the topic on June 26th, 2023 in the WDR-TV.