Historic Cathedral Fire in Wiener Neustadt: Soot Removal and Restoration Under Tight Deadline
Case study from the archive · First published in 2011
In the early evening on 6th March, 2011, the relief unit of the fire brigade was called out to a fire. The building that stood in flames was not just any building, but the cathedral itself, the town’s landmark, visible from miles around. Large areas of the interior of the 13th century building with its two distinctive towers were contaminated with soot. Some damage was also caused by smoke gas, the heat of the fire and, not least, extinguishing water.
Well equipped for restoration work
“Fire damage in a huge building like the cathedral poses an extremely complex challenge for all the parties involved in the restoration,” said Fritz Foune, one of Austria’s most renowned loss assessors. As a recognised expert, he was called in by the responsible insurer, Uniqua Versicherung AG.
Due to the varied nature of the damage, a multidisciplinary team of specialists, under the supervision of the Bundesdenkmalamt (the Austrian national heritage agency), was commissioned with the restoration work. Altars, sculptures, paintings, choir stalls, metals and murals are each being cleaned by designated specialist firms.
Fire damage in a huge building like the cathedral poses an extremely complex challenge for all the parties involved in the restoration.
BELFOR is responsible for removing the soot damage. The Soot Removal Film process, abbreviated to SRF, for gentle removal of residues including greasy deposits performed extremely impressively in a trial. Incidentally, the parish has gained a fringe benefit from the 1,400 square metres of scaffolding required for the ongoing restoration work: damage sustained before the fire is also being repaired.
“Live” restoration
The cathedral remains open to the public during the restoration work, which means that anyone can go in and follow the progress of the work – albeit from a distance. All the work has to be complete by the end of September
Meanwhile, around 7,000 square metres of wall are being gradually covered with liquid latex. This material is environmentally friendly, can be used on different substrates, and binds the soot within a few hours. The film is then simply peeled off, and with it the contaminants. The success of the BELFOR measures can already be clearly seen in the front section of the damaged nave, and this will shortly be followed by the rear end of the cathedral.
Cathedral Provost Monsignor Karl Pichelbauer becomes more relieved by the day, because it is important for the parish to have the cathedral “operational” again as soon as possible. “As well as the Holy Mass, the cathedral also hosts many events such as concerts and weddings,” explains Pichelbauer. “The cancellation of these events is seriously depleting the parish finances, and we are relying on voluntary donations.”
The six BELFOR employees still have a lot to do, but they are all certain that the deadline will be met.
