Mostardstrasse 22-26
Monument #38
Introduction
At the address Mostardstraße 24-26, you will find two typical Aachen brick buildings from the 19th century. But they are neither two buildings, nor are the façades really historical. What happened here?
Moving history
Around 1980, a residential building was constructed here, with parts of two façades being added in order to blend in with the old town. As with the houses at Neupforte 8 and 10, architect Kurt Nellessen was at work here, who had the two adjacent old buildings demolished in the same place and integrated some of them into the façade of his new building. At no. 26 (left building axes), Nellessen presumably used part of the demolished façade of the Roetgen mayor's office, which was built in 1895.
Search for clues
The gateway looks historic, but is made of concrete and the joints are not genuine. The shape of the gate is fictitious; the year of construction, 1980, can be seen in the wedge stone in the middle. Parts of the original building can still be found on the first and second floors. The origin of the incomplete anchor iron lettering "ANNO" is not known.
© Olaf RohlThe archway has a historical appearance, but is made of concrete. Its shape is fictitious and the joints are also imitation. The wedge stone shows the year of construction 1980.
Special features
During the reconstruction, the historical elements were only partially retained and arranged with free additions to create an overall impression. As elsewhere, two old façades were placed in front of a larger new building, thus retaining the impression of a small-scale development.
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Translocation
The method of translocation was already known and popular in 19th century urban planning. It allowed old building stock to be saved and reused. In Aachen, this method was applied in a special and extensive way.