The reconstruction of the Schloss façades
T H E B e r l i n e r s c h lo s s P OST | Se i te 29
Computer-aided 3D scan
Novel method being used for reconstruction of portal IV
Historic picture of the cartouche showing the eagle and crown removed in 1963
Portal IV (Liebknecht Portal) in the State Council building
As the only large re-used piece of the old palace portal IV has been preserved. It became a socialist relic and was integrated into the State Council building as the ‘Liebknecht Portal’ in 1963. However it was not integrated in its entirety and only the decorative sculptural work is the original. The sandstone walls were copied from the original stones, as they had been peppered with artillery rounds and machine-gun fire during the final battles of April 1945. Using a novel procedure involving a 3D scanner, the sculptural decorations have been scanned and saved on computer. Using a plastic die casting process, this data is now to be turned via a robot into 1:1 model templates in 3D form, which will then be copied in sandstone by the sculptors for building into the palace. Before that is done the die cast forms will be retouched by the sculptors and partially remodelled, as the Lieb-
knecht Portal’s sculptures also originally had bullet holes in them. Back at the time these were either patched up, if they were relatively big, or in the case of smaller ones sanded down. The portal’s sculptures are thus no longer in their pre-War condition,
Palladian arch in portal IV, consisting of arch, Fama and eagle cartouche
for which there is excellent photographic evidence. Ideology also played a part: the Prussian eagle was removed from the large eagle cartouche in the portal’s Palladian arch and the arbitrary dates of 1713 – 1963 added in its place. 1963 was when the
Pheme, the herald of fame and renown, on the left within the arch
State Council building was officially opened. So were the dates, perhaps, supposed to stand for ‘250 years of the GDR’? Thanks to the historic photographs such changes can be seen and by modifying the models can be undone. The copy of the copy is
In detail
thus once again the same as the actual portal IV. NB: Berlin will in future have two examples of portal IV: one in the listed State Council building and one back in its old position within the Lustgarten façade of the palace.