ᐅ Reconstructing a neoclassical facade. How was this originally done?

Good day!

I really like a particular architectural style associated with Classicism: strict symmetry, vertically oriented sash windows framed with stucco elements, and the areas between the windows and cornices covered with brick slips.

Now I wonder: How was this kind of design originally constructed? Was it always built using cavity walls? Were the window frames installed first—perhaps slid into the window reveals—and then the spaces between were filled with masonry? Or do these (often quite heavy) elements rest directly on the bricks?

And how would one replicate this today while adhering to modern construction standards? For example, if the shell consists of prefabricated Liapor solid wall panels, would the profiled frames be prefabricated from a durable material as well, inserted into the reveals, and then the gaps filled with brick slips and grouted? After all, brick slips can be cut from any extruded or handmade bricks...

Has anyone done this before? A Classicist (or even Baroque) facade on a newly built house? Quite a few things have happened in this area with the new Berlin City Palace, but unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find out exactly how it was done in detail.

Matthias

Does no one have any experience with this? What are your general thoughts on my idea to build a modern house with a historic exterior appearance? Or do you think that’s “eww”? In my opinion, something finely detailed fits better into the existing buildings here than a modern block with a green flat roof.

Matthias

First of all, a guess: no matter how it was done, for a private homeowner it would probably be unaffordable. You might as well plaster your facades with shell limestone or build a cantilevered glass pool on the roof... But setting aside such insignificant financial concerns, take a look around the old town area near the Frauenkirche in Dresden. There are a few newly constructed buildings in this style, including a small five-star luxury hotel. You would just need to find out which architect was responsible.

I think it’s a great idea and visually very appealing. Since I have no knowledge about it, I kept quiet.

I feel the same way: I simply find it visually very appealing. In the past, even farmers had houses like this built. The largest farmer in the village had such a house. You can still see this style in many villages in Brandenburg today. This is how you could build a house that looks like it has always been there. However, I really have no idea how to design it in a way that keeps the costs manageable.

I also like purely classical plaster facades with decorative elements, but the long-term maintenance effort is probably higher. With a facade made of clinker bricks and sandstone—or whatever materials—there is no need for any work for 100 years...

The fundamental question is whether something like this is dismissed as “Disneyland” or recognized as an attempt to create a regionally typical building. The same discussion is ongoing in Potsdam all the time...

Matthias