Saarbrücken 2010. As a new shopping magnet, the Europagalerie welcomes thousands of visitors

from throughout the region every day. It combines the innovative architecture of the newly constructed

building complex with the historical charm of the former mining headquarters. The building

dating back to 1880 was designed by architect Martin Gropius and has been carefully restored.

Today, it forms the architectural heart of the shopping mall with more than 110 shops.

Task: When the original building was constructed between 1877 and 1880, the floor was covered with the so-called Mettlacher Platten from Villeroy & Boch. During the course of the restoration of the listed building, one of the main tasks was to maintain and restore this floor covering to its original state.

Execution: Artefactur specialists succeeded in restoring more than 1,200 m2 of historical Mettlach tiles on the staircase and in the entrance area. The tiles made of multi-coloured,

inlaid porcelain stoneware were professionally cleaned and missing or defective elements replaced: large parts of the mosaics were restored using old tiles from the Artefactur’s own mosaic archive, which is more than 200 years old. In addition, historical presses from 1910 were used to reproduce individual tiles – not only with the exact colour nuances but also in  the original 17 x 17 cm format.

Result: Today, the historical part of the Europagalerie boasts a fascinating interior design.

The former mining headquarters are now accessible to the general public. All visitors can now marvel at artistic details, such as elements of the historical ballroom, cast-iron flights of stairs and valuable leaded windows. However, above all, it is the floors and stairs that are regarded as the height of craftsmanship and that contribute to the stylish atmosphere of Saarbrücken’s new landmark.

Client: The restoration of the former mining headquarters and its connection with the modern centre of the Europagalerie is a joint project of Credit Suisse Asset Management Immobilien Kapitalanlagegesellschaft and ECE Projektmanagement. The market leader in shopping malls develops, builds and manages more than 130 shopping centres throughout Europe.