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Restoration at Villa Hügel, Germany

Villa Hügel is a 19th-century 269-room mansion situated in Essen, Germany. This spectacular building is positioned idyllically in 28 acres of parkland overlooking the River Ruhr. Purchased in 1864 by the industrialist Alfred Krupp, he rebuilt the villa based on his own sketches and ideas for his family residence. Alfred Krupp died in 1873 leaving the mansion in the capable hands of the next generation of Krupp’s. Today the mansion is enjoyed by members of the public, holding exhibitions and serving as a place of representation for the Krupp Group.

"Our paths on the south terrace with the new Rustic Oak Addagrip Terrabase path surface have proven themselves so far and visually blend very nicely into the overall picture."
Andreas Seifert
Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation

The redesigned south terrace of Villa Hügel, which is laid out in two levels, is based on historical plans drawn up by the architectural firm Förder-Landschaftsarchitekten, and covered a total area of around 27,000m². This included around 2,300m² of park paths with Terrabase Rustic resin bound permeable paving, which marked the first installation of this minimum dig product in Germany

In the first phase of construction, all paths on the ground level area of the upper terrace garden were restored based on the historical plans with water-bound natural stone paths.

This same path was also planned for the second phase of construction. However, parts of the path had steep slopes measuring at a 14-22% incline. This meant that alternative surfaces were laid for these sections limiting potential risks such as damage by washouts due to heavy rain. A main path was also created, which would be used by heavy vehicles.

The path surfacing had to comply with the clients set requirements of being low maintenance and able to withstand vehicular traffic up to 3.5tonnes. For the aesthetic aspect of the design, the product needed to provide a natural rustic finish to adhere to the heritage conservation and architectural design, matching closely in with the first phase of construction. Addagrip Terrabase Rustic Oak resin-bound permeable system was selected, as it fulfilled the brief of the client.

The Addagrip Terrabase pathway has now become a part of this Villas’ history for future generations to enjoy.

Client: Thyssenkrupp AG for Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation

Supplier: Addagrip Terraco

Contractor: KUTTER Spezialstraßenbau GmbH & Co. KG

Materials Used: Grantex Specialist Dried Aggregates

Villa Hugel restoration