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April 18, 2007
Ruinous Tower Continues to Deteriorate - more at 11
At Cronaca we read:
The bombed-out belltower of Berlin, a jagged and bruised symbol of the city, is crumbling fast and needs urgent restoration work if it is to survive as one of the most potent European memorials of the horrors of war.That was the verdict yesterday of an architectural survey team, which has stirred the debate over the preservation of ruins from the Second World War. “We were stunned when we read the surveyors’ report,” said Matthias Hoffmann-Tauschwitz, building supervisor of the German Protestant Church.
Here's the whole article.
I agree with my learned colleague - we shouldn't be surprised that ruins deteriorate more quickly than intact buildings. There's also a strong possiblity - though I'm just speculating about this instance - that parts of the building - especially window frames and door sills - were originally made out of softer stone than was necessary. 19th and early 20th Century revival style architects loved that kind of thing - it produced faster wear patterns they thought looked authentically old. That means they have to be repaired more often. Oh, well.
Posted by CrankyProfessor at April 18, 2007 7:05 AM