Living and Working in a Monument: The Hackesche Höfe
The Hackesche Höfe are a living monument. In principle, everything here should remain as it is – or rather, as it once was. Every change must be approved. At the same time, the more than 100 flats, offices, shops and restaurants meet today's standards. We asked how monument protection works in everyday life.
Many monuments simply stand there – often in public places. They are, so to speak, monuments by profession, such as the Victory Column or the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. But buildings or entire ensembles can also be declared architectural monuments.
The Hackesche Höfe received this distinction back in 1977. At that time, however, they were in a sorry state. The stucco-decorated street façade had been knocked down in 1961, large parts of the Art Nouveau facing bricks in the first courtyard were damaged or had fallen off, and the former ballrooms were being used as a car repair shop or storage rooms. The monument status did not help the courtyards at first: renovation plans were not implemented during the GDR era.
In focus: Art Nouveau architect August Endell
The Hackesche Höfe are Europe's largest contiguous courtyard ensemble, offering a unique blend of residential, commercial and gastronomic facilities. Although the entire complex is a listed building, particular interest is focused on the achievements of August Endell. The Art Nouveau artist and architect called for more beauty and design in cities and wanted to promote a ‘culture of enjoyment’. The Hackesche Höfe are among his few surviving buildings.
The entire complex was designed and built by Kurt Berndt; Endell was commissioned to design several interior spaces and the façades in the first courtyard. He brought these to life with a curved roof ridge, coloured facing bricks and 41 different window shapes.
In new splendour
In 1993, the courtyards were returned to the heirs of the former owner and acquired by two investors in 1994. In the same year, the Senate Administration commissioned a renovation concept; in 1995, restoration work began in accordance with monument preservation guidelines. Written, drawn and photographic sources on the building's history were evaluated for this purpose. In addition, the State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments commissioned an extensive on-site inventory: in addition to photographs, precise drawings were made of facades, windows and preserved ceiling lights. Using scalpels and solvents, restorers exposed layers of paint and plaster and documented them.
In addition to the façades in the first courtyard, the staircase to the cinema and the Chamäleon Theatre were reconstructed true to the original. The design of the theatre hall, hidden under layers of paint, was also brought back to light. Elements of Endell's designs can still be found today in the Hackescher Hof restaurant, the Oxymoron and the Auerbach Store.
Monument Protection after the Renovation
Even after the renovation, monument protection continues to safeguard the appearance of the courtyards.. Any structural changes must be applied for and approved – initially by the district's lower listed building authority and, in important cases, also by the state listed building authority.
Since 1993, the neighbourhood surrounding the Hackesche Höfe, the Spandauer Vorstadt, has also been under ensemble protection. Since then, structural alterations or changes in use must be approved. The aim is to preserve the urban design.
Architect Andreas Hölzer, who has been working for the Hackesche Höfe since 2010, coordinates even the smallest interventions with the monument protection authority. For example, the fire brigade requested that a key depot be set up at the main entrance on Rosenthaler Strasse in order to gain access to the courtyards, which are locked at night, in case of an emergency. The position and design of this depot also had to be approved in advance by the monument protection authority. Hölzer's experience is that if he behaves correctly on small matters, he can hope for a willingness to compromise on larger issues. According to him, the authority usually makes pragmatic decisions. For example, a fire alarm system in the Hackescher Hof restaurant and a cooling system on the roof of the first courtyard were recently approved without any problems.
The monument depot
However, the authorities sometimes attach conditions to their approvals. During the renovation of retail space on Rosenthaler Strasse, old radiators from the time of construction were discovered under the cladding. These were allowed to be removed, but had to be archived. They were moved to the underground monument depot in the courtyards – along with the lorries that were once used to transport coal from the warehouse in courtyard 3 to the boiler room in courtyard 1.
It is unlikely that the radiators and coal lorries will ever be used again. But they are still there – as silent witnesses to history.
