The main building for the Chemnitz NOWA Strumpffabrik AG, designed in 1927/28 by the Berlin architect Alwin Weiß, is an important testimony to classical modernism and the outstanding importance of the textile industry in the Chemnitz region. A wide production wing is divided by a stairwell in front with a vertical strip of light . The facade made of narrow, dark red hand-painted bricks has an elegant, handcrafted texture of protruding and recessed rows of bricks and is structured at the corner by window bands that are framed like a cornice. The two life-size sculptures made of Rochlitz porphyry in the gate area, which allegorize the extraction of textile fiber raw materials, are distinctive. The design of the building is influenced by the Bauhaus and is therefore of national architectural significance.

The NOWA ensemble is closely linked to the name Horst Pfotenhauer, who continued to run the factory until after the end of the war and was convicted by the Soviet military administration in a show trial. Until 1992, stockings were produced in the expropriated facilities as “VEB Strumpffabrik NOWA Bernsdorf”.

In 1994 the area was taken over by Gotthard Tröger, owner of a small belt shop in neighboring Lichtenstein/Sa. acquired by the trust. After the fall of the Wall, the company, which originally specialized in the production of living room lights, developed into one of the most important surface centers in Saxony with well-known customers in the automotive and sanitary sectors.

When the Tröger company took over the factory site, the main building was gradually renovated. Among other things, the plaster strips were renovated and painted in a yellow tone typical of the time and the industrial glazing that was still in place at the time was replaced with white PVC windows in a 6-panel. The clinker brick surfaces themselves were and still are extremely robust and had to be repaired only partially. The basic structure of the building as a reinforced concrete skeleton construction with large ceilings, which were originally designed for the heavy looms, also proved to be very stable and could be used almost unchanged for the new production in the following years. Since around 2000, the company area has been gradually expanded and adapted to the new production methods - the dominant main building is still the core of the area today.

After a service life of another 25 years, another renovation cycle on the main building was required between 2021 and 2024. In this context, the new management wanted a much more authentic design than in the 90s. This affected both the color of the plaster strips and the design of the windows. The plaster strips had to be fundamentally renovated anyway; the PVC windows, as first-type components, were at the end of their service life and also had structural and structural defects.

The comparison of existing drawings and old photos shows that a 9-partition is shown in the drawings, while obviously an 8-partition was actually executed, which was alternated with 4 supporting posts and narrow rungs, so that 2 double opening sashes were integrated in each case, However, the outer fields began as narrow fields. All formats were clearly executed vertically.

Window redesign concept
The basic design was taken up by forming 4 support posts analogous to the original design, with the edge fields each starting as a narrow field. Together with the inserted rungs, the original 8-part division is retained. The window is essentially permanently glazed, only the lower middle field has a tilt-and-turn sash.

The windows were designed as a flush aluminum construction. Due to the size of the formats, static profiles that are placed in front of the 4 support profiles are required. At the same time, this creates the desired spatial depth effect of the windows; At the same time, the static profiles are so narrow at approx. 50 mm that the windows will appear very elegant and tie in with the original design.

During the renovation, the plaster strips that form window strips around the windows were again designed in a color version typical of the time.

DB703 was chosen as the color for the windows, an anthracite tone with an iron mica effect. This also gives the windows a certain feel and industrial look and blends into the rough clinker shell. The window panels that also needed to be replaced were made of titanium zinc to suit the material.

The vertical stairwell window band was designed as a post-transom construction - here too, an attempt to come close to the original design intentions.

At the same time, the main entrance was enlarged, which is characterized by the two life-size sculptures made of Rochlitz porphyry. Due to the limited space and the historic width of 6 m, there have been repeated problems in the past when driving on trucks and damage to the listed porphyry pillars. The two pillars were rebuilt and each moved 1.25 m in both directions, so that the access width is now 8.50 m - but the symmetry is still maintained. The figures show a shepherd knitting and a farmer with a sack and pipe and have been extensively restored in this context.

Renovation of the main facade of the factory building of the former NOWA Strumpffabrik AG in Bernsdorf / TSG Holding e.K. and enlargement and restoration of the main driveway

Categories: Industry, Open Space, Structure
Client: TSG Holding e.K.

Design: Hendrik Heine

Services: Object planning for buildings, open spaces and structural planning
Start of services: 2021
Completion: 2024

Photos: Till Schuster