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Auftragsmeldung Bembé Parkett Hansasaal Köln – Tafelparkett Eiche Craft Oil 2K geölt, Randfriese, Schwellen und Einpflege

Hansasaal Cologne –
Boarded Parquet in the Historic City Hall

The Hansasaal in Cologne’s Historic City Hall is one of Germany’s most significant secular interiors. Measuring approximately 29 meters in length, over seven meters in width, and with a ceiling height of just under ten meters, it is the largest and most magnificent hall in Cologne’s City Hall—a place where history has been made since the 14th century. It was here that the Hanseatic League declared war on the Danish King Waldemar Atterdag in 1367; it was here that courts and city council meetings were held; and it was here that crowned heads of state, German chancellors, and international guests were received. The famous stone figures of the “Nine Good Heroes” on the south wall are among the building’s most valuable art-historical treasures.

Objektdetails

Soil typeBoarded and Inlaid Parquet
Wood speciesMaple - Oak - Walnut
Surfaceoiled
Laying patternOther
StudioCologne Studio
Photographer© hgesch
ArchitectLEPEL & LEPEL GmbH

Spectacular Boarded Parquet for a historic gem

As part of a comprehensive renovation commissioned by the City of Cologne, the historic hall received a completely new flooring design in 2022. The old, dilapidated tile floor from the postwar era—which had no art-historical significance and had been covered for years by a heavy Persian rug—was removed and replaced with spectacular Boarded Parquet. The new interior design was planned by the Cologne-based interior design firm LEPEL & LEPEL, led by Monika Lepel, and coordinated with the lighting design by Anette Hartung.

We handled the entire installation of the parquet flooring, covering an area of approximately 185 m². We used a two-layer Boarded Parquet on a 15 mm multiplex subfloor, made from three European woods: natural oak, European maple, and European walnut. Each individual diamond-shaped element measures 682.5 × 394 mm with a total thickness of 22 mm. When assembled, they form a checkerboard pattern based on a classic Renaissance design. The deliberate enlargement of the scale creates an impressive three-dimensional effect that immediately catches the eye upon entering the hall.

Visibly impressed by the professional craftsmanship of our parquet installers: Cologne Mayor Henriette Reker at the unveiling of the newly renovated Hansasaal in late 2022 (accompanied by WDR Lokalzeit).

Auftragsmeldung Bembé Parkett für den Hansasaal im Historischen Rathaus Köln – Leistungsverzeichnis Estrichvorbereitung und Parkettarbeiten

Artisanal precision from preparation to maintenance

In addition to the actual installation of the panel pattern, the work also included extensive subfloor preparation: sanding and vacuuming the 200 m² of screed, milling away unevenness, filling, and sealing screed joints and cracks. Approximately 210 running meters of natural oak border moldings frame the cube-patterned parquet and elegantly guide the eye along the hall’s walls. The parquet was finished with Bona Craft Oil 2K, a high-quality oil that highlights the natural beauty of the three wood species. The project was completed with machine polishing and careful finishing of the entire surface.

Together with the restored honeycomb-shaped LED lighting concept—a reinterpretation of the 1970s ceiling design—the floor, walls, and ceiling come together to form a harmonious whole, in which the building’s historical character and modern design engage in a dynamic dialogue.

Custom Work from the Bembé Carpentry Shop

To flawlessly reproduce the fascinating, three-dimensional effect of the cube pattern in these dimensions, the highest level of precision was required long before the actual installation began. Based on a detailed, large-format technical drawing, the exact installation layout for the Hansasaal was visualized and calculated. Our in-house carpentry shop then crafted the individual diamond-shaped and border elements with millimeter precision. Every joint and every cut was executed with the utmost artisanal care in our workshop. It was only through this meticulous preparatory work by our carpenters that such a seamless, perfectly proportioned masterpiece could be created on-site—one that fully does justice to the hall’s historical significance.

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Technische Zeichung zum Tafelparkettboden im Hansesaal in Köln