Insight into the Büsing-Palais construction site: Technical renovation ends in the fall

"The Büsing Palace is one of the most impressive buildings in our city. That is why the preservation of this cultural monument is a very special obligation for Offenbach, naturally taking into account the protection of historical monuments," emphasizes Lord Mayor Dr. Felix Schwenke. As the work cannot be carried out during ongoing operations, the main building will no longer be available for weddings, celebrations, conferences and cultural events from fall 2023. Until the renovation is complete, weddings will take place in the nearby Bernardbau. However, nothing stands in the way of the Mainuferfest on June 14/15 and the Festival of Lights on August 9.

A guided tour in April reveals the extent of the work in the Büring-Palais. All the ceilings in the building were opened up, the electrical wiring renewed and the water pipes completely replaced. In order to protect the stucco elements and the chandelier in the foyer from the work, those responsible installed a wooden tunnel. As with the entrance to the wedding hall, most of the doors were replaced: they are now smoke-proof in an emergency, can withstand flames and close automatically in some cases. The doors are designed as closely as possible to the original from the 1980s, including the cassette or glass panels and their profiles - only the color of the new solid oak doors varies slightly. The intervention in the ceiling of the foyer is also only apparent at second glance: To prevent smoke from filling the escape routes from the Jacques Offenbach Hall, there is now a smoke protection curtain that descends from a narrow track in the event of a fire. Apart from this "gap", the original ceiling design with a grid of brass pipes has been retained.

"Our aim is to carry out the refurbishment in the historic building in such a way that nobody will notice it later," says Alexandra Ihls, project manager at the municipal utility subsidiary OPG Offenbacher Projektentwicklungsgesellschaft mbH, which is taking care of the technical refurbishment of the building on behalf of the city. The planning team recently discussed the exact design of the exhaust air openings of the purge air systems, for example, with the heritage office. The delay in the work was mainly due to defects in the building that only came to light when the components were opened: "The structure of the building surprised us in part," says the project manager. On a positive note, the project is still within budget at around 8.63 million euros. The manor house, built in 1775 by the factory owners Bernard and d'Orville, has been owned by the city since 1920 and was rebuilt until the early 1980s following its destruction in the Second World War. OPG is working closely with the Office for Economic Development and Real Estate as the client's representative during the renovation. The focus of the work is on fire protection, which no longer met current requirements. In addition to the measures described for safer evacuation, around 120 additional smoke detectors, mostly concealed behind discreet flaps, now protect the Palais and its guests. In future, the fire department will be able to open relevant windows and doors automatically in the event of an alarm.

In order to achieve greater energy efficiency in the building, the municipal utility company is also having the ventilation technology and the drinking and extinguishing water supply replaced. "We are replacing the central devices of the ventilation systems and can thus reduce energy consumption by up to 70 percent," explains OPG project manager Ihls. The system has been completely redesigned for all floors and now runs with pure fresh air, which is much more hygienic: "Previously, the existing air was only circulated within the room." Among other things, the team completely removed the old technology from the top floor and transported it down to the inner courtyard using an inclined elevator. The scaffolding required for this has now been dismantled, the modern system is complete and much clearer than its predecessor. The redesign of the drinking water network should also significantly reduce energy requirements: the hot water is no longer heated centrally, but directly at the point of use. Previously, the water was routed through the entire building. The new pipe concept also meets the requirements of a modern, hygienic drinking water supply. As part of the renovations, the sanitary facilities in the basement will also be renovated and will then be barrier-free: "The modernization of the sanitary facilities will already be clearly visible, although we have retained the original natural colors on the walls," reports Alexandra Ihls. The sideboard kitchen in the basement will have a needs-based layout and new, adapted appliances. It is not only used by the neighboring Sheraton Hotel: the 4-star hotel has leased the Palais from the city of Offenbach, operates a congress and conference center there and rents out the rooms for events - also regularly to the city.