The Kolk - 850 years of history Preserving the historic Kolk for the future
With the designs of Konermann Siegmund Architekten, a piece of Lübeck’s old town is being modernised from within. On the one hand the historic facade of the Kolk is being restored in keeping with it’s protected, listed status, while, on the other hand the building itself is being restored and made safe in accordance with modern construction regulations.
Lübeck archaeologists discovered the oldest brick house in the Hanseatic city so far: the stone foundations had to be braced against the massive downward pressure of St. Petri with heavy oak planks and large posts protruding from the bottom of the foundations. These date from the 1170s, around the same time as the construction of St. Peter’s Church.
The oldest house in the city of Lübeck
In the course of the project “Spaces for Theatre Puppets in the Kolk”, archaeological excavations have run in parallel with the construction work. In recent months, these have yielded breathtaking and remarkable new perspectives on the historical urban development of the area below Saint Peter’s church, in and around the premises of KOLK 17 Puppet Theatre & Museum.
KOLK 17 combines historic preservation with modern requirements
As Lübeckers, we are proud of the historic merchants’ houses that have stood for over 850 years. At the same time, however, we are committed to today’s building standards. We are convinced that something very special is being created through this constructive marriage of the past and present.
The historic Kolk is to be preserved for future generations. The renovation of the historic buildings in the Kolk is unfortunately unavoidable. Only after construction work had begun and the historic walls had been exposed to the light of day did it become clear that the condition of the buildings was much worse than expected and in some cases posed a real danger to their stability.
Over the course of the renovations KOLK 17 has collaborated with experts from the design advisory board, building research and building restoration specialists’. The overall concept is the result of a competition and the winner was selected by a jury of experts and advised by the design advisory board.
KOLK 17 places value on the historical site and continuously adapts the construction to the site conditions as a result of the archaeological work carried out in the Kolk. The building project proceeds cautiously and values the finds of all epochs equally. In this way, the overall historical picture of the buildings can be captured.
The new buildings are being constructed in the context of the historically mature architecture in the Petri Quarter and will be built in the Kolk as a counterpart to the Petri Wall.
Historical materials and techniques are being used, for example, the bricks used are in the historical cloister format.
The history of the site will become an integral part of the new institution in Kolk
In the Kolk district, a new cultural institution for Lübeck is emerging, combining the TheaterfigurenMuseum and the Figurentheater Lübeck. Together, Lübeck's city archaeology and the new institution for puppet theater in Kolk are working to make excavation findings accessible both on-site and digitally. The aim of the new institution is to blend Lübeck’s city history and monument preservation with the modern needs of a cultural institution, ensuring accessibility for all citizens. Some initial finds have already been presented on our blog. Additionally, there are plans to digitally provide not only insights into the history of this building but also other archaeological highlights from across the city for all citizens of Lübeck in the near future.
A "hollow tooth" in the Kolk
In the building at Kolk 20-22, the former puppet theater building, new exhibition spaces are being created. To meet requirements like fire protection and escape routes while maximizing exhibition space, a "building within a building" is being constructed behind the historic facade.
The historic structure has been completely gutted and is now supported by a steel framework. Follow this exciting construction phase and enjoy a spectacular view in our drone video.