Rivertime, Rheinuferpromenade, Düsseldorf
Chemistry to build on
Project Comprehensive restoration of artwork dating from 1997 Replacement of heavily faded and vandalized acrylic composition by hand-made ceramic mosaic Highly resistant tile-laying products specified due to exposed location on Rhine waterfront and associated risk of flooding
Signboard Design practice
Ingenieurbüro GRASSL GmbH, Düsseldorf
Applicator
Gebhardt & Weiterer GmbH Fliesenlegermeister, Silberhausen
Artist
Prof. Hermann-Josef Kuhna
Client
City of Düsseldorf
Contract volume
Approx. 320 m²
Completion
April 2017
Products Sopro MEG 667 megaFlex TX highly flexible tile adhesive Sopro TFb high-strength tile grout
Rivertime, Rheinuferpromenade, Düsseldorf I www.sopro.com
www.sopro.com
Finished scheme
Rivertime, Rheinuferpromenade, DĂźsseldorf I www.sopro.com
Finished scheme
Rivertime, Rheinuferpromenade, DĂźsseldorf I www.sopro.com
Finished scheme
Rivertime, Rheinuferpromenade, DĂźsseldorf I www.sopro.com
Original condition
Rivertime, Rheinuferpromenade, DĂźsseldorf I www.sopro.com
Construction phase
Rivertime, Rheinuferpromenade, DĂźsseldorf I www.sopro.com
Rivertime, Rheinuferpromenade, Düsseldorf
Rhine waterfront artwork restored to its former glory
In 2017, the acrylic painting with the title "Rivertime", which had adorned Düsseldorf's riverside Rheinuferpromenade since 1997, was replaced by a hand-made ceramic mosaic. The exposed and occasionally flooded site necessitated the use of specially suited tile-laying products from Sopro Bauchemie GmbH’s trade range. The artwork embellishing the steps leading down from Düsseldorf's Burgplatz square to the Rhine waterfront was created in 1997 by Professor Hermann-Josef Kuhna from the University of Fine Arts Münster with the help of his students. The Düsseldorf-based artist, who is famous for his structural paintings, used a special pointillist technique to apply colourful acrylic paints to the wall surfaces. The result was the polychromatic "Rivertime" mural, spanning an area of 320 m², which for many years was a real eye-catcher on the riverside promenade.
Acrylic painting replaced by hand-painted broken ceramics Sadly, the siting of artwork in public spaces can easily backfire – a painful lesson also learned by the City of Düsseldorf. And as if repeated vandalization and costly cleaning of the painting was not enough, the ageing acrylic paints ultimately suffered progressive weathering and fading. In the end, it was Professor Kuhna himself who proposed replacement of the colour spots in the pointillist composition by broken ceramics. Although this offered a highly robust and durable solution, it was also a very elaborate method of restoring the artwork. The first step was to take detailed photographs of the wall prior to its successive removal. Parallel to this, small ceramic tesserae were formed, hand-painted and fired. Once the coloured broken ceramics had been produced, the artwork was applied in a mosaic pattern to backing sheets, which were then fixed to the walls of the Rheinuferpromenade. The result is impressive: the new technique allows the flamboyant glazed units to reflect sunlight, thereby making the colours appear even more vivid. The mural – much prized by Düsseldorf locals and tourists alike – has thus been restored to its former glory. According to the City of Düsseldorf, the cost of restoration ran to around € 260,000.
Specially suited Sopro tile adhesive and grout Of course, like the previous acrylic painting, the new mosaic composition stands at a vulnerable riverside location, under constant exposure to wind and weather. Not to mention the worst-case scenario that occurs at irregular intervals when "Father Rhine" breaks its banks. Not surprisingly, the installation of a precious mosaic tableau at this site called for the use of high-performance, cutting-edge products such as those featuring in the Sopro Bauchemie GmbH range. The bedding adhesive specified by the project team was Sopro MEG 667, a highly flexible, sag-resistant, rapid-set, two-component, cementitious tile adhesive. Sopro MEG 667 offers extremely high adhesion strengths coupled with maximum flexibility (grade S2 to DIN EN 12004, deformability ≥ 5 mm). The stress-relieving effect of the mortar matrix makes it particularly suitable for outdoor applications as well as young concrete substrates, newly laid, unheated cement screeds and where the adhesive system is subject to enhanced flexibility requirements. Its very low water absorption guarantees high, long-term frost resistance – which was one of the decisive factors for its specification on this project. The joints in the artwork were finished using Sopro TFb, a high-strength, rapid-set, trassbearing, cementitious tile grout (meeting CG2 WA requirements to DIN EN 13888) for 3 – 30 mm joint widths. The use of Mikrodur® microcement in conjunction with special additives lends the grout its dense, high-strength microstructure, thereby guaranteeing high mechanical strength and abrasion resistance. This makes it particularly suitable for use wherever joints are subject to high mechanical loads, e.g. in workshops, washing facilities, catering kitchens and swimming pools, as well as on balconies and patios. It is also ideal for exposed outdoor coverings, as on the Rhine waterfront, where the joints are required to exhibit high weather and ageing resistance. Moreover, due to its trass content, the grout significantly reduces the risk of efflorescence and ensures the long-term visual appeal of the joint pattern. The highly demanding job of installing the artwork was carried out by Gebhardt & Weiterer GmbH Fliesenlegermeister from Silberhausen in the German Federal State of Thuringia.
Rivertime, Rheinuferpromenade, Düsseldorf I www.sopro.com