Construction Diary, Episode 1
It’s March, and it’s hard to believe: It all began on January 7th! The main building was closed, and everything was relocated to the new annex.
The entire hotel was cleared out, with most of the furniture picked up by the city of Baden-Baden for a good cause, and the construction crane was put in place.
We were really excited about the discoveries from the hotel’s past, and sure enough, a few surprises have already come to light.
The Reception Moves to the Annex
From now on, we will welcome our guests directly at the annex on Rettigstraße 1. You can drive into our parking garage and enter the annex through the designated entrance.
We are happy to assist you with your luggage. All doors open automatically, ensuring a barrier-free path to the reception. Here, we look forward to greeting you with our signature warmth and hospitality. We’re delighted to have you here!
The Construction Crane is in Place
One of the first steps during the demolition phase was setting up the construction crane. The entire historic staircase had to be protected to ensure that the heavy loads wouldn’t cause any damage.
Countless times, the freight elevator transported building materials upward and construction debris downward – an impressive sight. It’s remarkable how much material is moved during a demolition.
A heartfelt thank you goes to the city of Baden-Baden, which took over the majority of our former room furnishings for charitable purposes. We are very pleased that everything has found a meaningful new use.
Small Discoveries
You don’t always find a great treasure during the demolition of a building. But isn’t it precisely these small discoveries that make renovating the Sophienpark so exciting?
For example, we found these beautiful Art Nouveau tiles. Unfortunately, only this small part has survived. Who knows what might be hidden behind some of the partition walls or beneath the suspended ceilings. Stay tuned!
Big Surprises
Surprises are part of the renovation business. It’s now certain that we need to replace a large part of the roof on the 5th floor. Time to take a deep breath.
But as they say: Everything happens for a reason. In this case, we’ll gain extra ceiling height, which you’ll definitely appreciate as a guest.
Happy end
Even carpets can reveal secrets. During our initial analyses, we discovered mosaics at the stair landings. We were quite surprised. But when large, well-preserved floors emerged, we were left speechless. We hadn’t expected such a treasure.
The mosaic elements must have been truly magnificent. We can only vaguely sense the colors for now. Once the stones are restored and sealed, the patterns will fully come to life again.
Soenne Architekturfotograf