Cologne Cathedral wasn't built in a day

Cologne Cathedral wasn't built in a day – how the tactile model of Cologne Cathedral was created

 

‘This unfortunate building is covered with barracks and scaffolding because of the construction work, and of course for all eternity, since it will never be finished.’ (Eugène Delacroix, 1850) from: Cologne. The city and its citizens, Johann Jakob Hässlin (ed.), Stuttgart 1964, p.114.

 

Fortunately, Eugène Delacroix was wrong - the cathedral was officially completed in 1880, and for countless vistiors , whether Cologne residents or not, it was and is a piece of home. It is one of the tallest religious buildings in the world and is visited by 6 million people annually. But enough about figures on this undisputedly magnificent example of Gothic architecture. This text is about the history of the creation from the initial idea to the completion of the Cologne Cathedral tactile model from the perspective of someone who was allowed to accompany this process. There were good times and bad times, but above all there was an unshakeable belief that there would be success. It’s no mere exaggeration to say that creating the Cologne Cathedral tactile model is the culmination of a lifetime's work.

 

The cologne Domsitzung association has set itself the task of supporting Cologne Cathedral both ideally and financially. Since 2018, Domsitzung e.V. has been collecting donations to finance a tactile model of Cologne Cathedral in order to make the cathedral fully accessible to people with visual impairments or complete sight loss. The fact that a cologne artist was commissioned for this task was more or less a coincidence. And although Ingo Telkmann had already been working as a freelance artist for forty years when he was commissioned by Domsitzung e.V. and Peter Füssenich, master builder of Cologne Cathedral (and, it should be mentioned at this point, had completed more than one exciting assignment during this working life) this project was something unprecedented in every respect. The plan to create a tactile model of Cologne Cathedral, which would have been impossible without the initiative of Domsitzung e.V., was, as all those involved realised from the outset, a highly idealistic project.

 

It is therefore hardly surprising that Telkmann was not pushed beyond the limits of his abilities in the four years that it took from the preliminary planning to the delivery of the finished model, but he was certainly pushed to the brink of madness at times. Cologne Cathedral, after all.

 

The fact that there were other challenges of all kinds during the planning and creative phase of four years is not entirely insignificant: there was a business to run, a puppy to raise, three honorary positions to fulfil and a lockdown due to corona pandemic. A pandemic that has jeopardised more than just the tactile model project due to its impact on society.

 

At the beginning of March 2023, Ingo Telkmann fell critically ill with Covid and had to spend several weeks in hospital as a result.

 

However, the climatic conditions in the artist’s workshop during summer months also posed a direct threat to the existence of the tactile model.

 

The artist's hands were the most important tool for working on the Cologne Cathedral tactile model. As one knows, manipulating wax for long periods of time causes the material to heat up. All the more so with outside temperatures rising. From temperatures above 24° in the workshop, especially the crossing tower was endagered by the heat. Styrofoam blocks cut to size were quickly placed between the columns of the crossing tower to ensure stability. The purchase of a mobile air conditioning unit, seven days of monitoring during hot weather periods and the almost complete avoidance of longer absences helped significantly to protect the wax model from major damage.

 

 

Cologne Cathedral tactile model – touch based communication

 

In order to design the tactile model of Cologne Cathedral, the first task was to work out how it should best be presented. For the artistic realisation, this meant that the finished model had to be accessible and as well visually as haptically inviting for every visitor. `Visitor` includes people with low or no sight, as those can view art by use of haptical sense, amongst other. And last but not least the designer's artistic ideas hovered over every touch during planning and creation.

 

The finished tactile model was intended to be a synthesis of two aspects - the Cologne Cathedral, reduced in scale to an accessible object on the one hand, and to fulfil the requirements of both the artist Ingo Telkmann and Peter Füssenich on the other. In his position as master builder of the Cologne Cathedral, the latter was the most important contact person throughout the entire creative process.

 

2020 - Letting go and feeling your way or: how to reduce Cologne Cathedral

 

In the beautiful month of February 2020, shortly before the first lockdown due to the corona pandemic, master goldsmith and artist Ingo Telkmann was commissioned by the board of Domsitzung e.V. with the non-binding, preliminary planning for a tactile model of Cologne Cathedral. In the weeks following, countless tours of the Cathedral took place, as the first task was to understand it in its structure. Telkmann changed his own way of perception, as it was absolutely necessary to let go the paralysing awe of the mountain-like, towering Gothic building without losing the respect required for the task.

 

Before the planning of the actual model began, however, it was first decided how the plinth should be designed so as the tactile model could be approached without any obstacles. The base was entierly produced by stonemasons of the Dombauhütte (Cologne Cathedral workshop) - Wolfgang Küppers (stonemason and designer of the plinth), Samira Dykstra (former trainee) and Stephan Wiecorek (training manager). It features elements of the tracery from four different construction phases of Cologne Cathedral.

 

Inevitably the question arose as to how many of the architectural elements of Cologne Cathedral could be reduced while remaining true to scale. To what extent could elements of the building be omitted without ending up with a toy version of Cologne Cathedral which would in no means do justice to its grandeur? In order to depict Cologne Cathedral in a reduced form, it was essential to recognise its rhythm and melody in advance. Without understanding the architecture as a whole, this would have been impossible. This resulted in a scale of 1:255,000 once the work on the proportional models made of clay and polystyrene had been completed. Using sketches and preliminary drawings and making a relief out of cardboard helped Telkmann to develop an idea of the spatiality.

 

These steps also served to let go of the traditional images that had been internalised in the artist's mind since childhood; as a process of understanding the structure and proportions of the Gothic model. This was followed by drawings of a plinth that would not only support the tactile model, but also show tracery elements.

 

In April 2020, the first polystyrene proportion patterns were created, reduced to the basic shapes. Initially omitting the buttresses, the shapes of the nave and transept, the choir area and the spires were gradually worked out. In this way, the cathedral could be assembled using a kind of building block technique. In the next step, these molds were worked in clay, which contributed significantly to the understanding of form and proportion.

 

 

2021 – Coated in wax

 

The polystyrene model with wax coating was completed in July and August 2021. The wax was meticulously applied by hand, layer by layer, to the respective polystyrene parts using black sculpting wax. After each step, the surfaces had to be measured and smoothed so as not to create any proportional deviations in the later course of the work. During this time, wax particles could repeatedly be found in the fur of the aforementioned puppy, which came into the artist's life in the summer of 2021. Nevertheless the furry friend has developed magnificently.

 

In the summer of 2021, Telkmann was officially entrusted by Domsitzung e.V. and Peter Füssenich with the task of creating the Cologne Cathedral tactile model. Both the cathedral master builder and the board of the donating association were impressed by the artist's concept and approach after viewing the previous models.

 

In October 2021, the complete structure of the model was finally made from polystyrene in a wax coat. Now, with equally meticulous precision, the work on the basic pillars of the towers, the west portal and the base of the crossing tower could begin.

 

 

2022 – How to store a cathedral in the fridge

 

January to March 2022

 

Between the months of January to March 2022, the tactile model had progressed so far that Telkmann was able to start carving out window details and other architectural elements. For this purpose, stamps of different sizes and shapes were handmade from brass and copper, which were then heated and burnt into the wax to create the desired shape. A total of more than 120 of these stamps were created, the smallest of which has a stamp surface of four millimetres. Contact between the heated metal and the sculpting wax had to be kept to a minimum, but the mold had to be burned in precisely. Depending on the size and position, more than eleven of the small stamps were used for one window. In the spring of 2022, the choir windows were fully inlaid. The next step was to design the crossing tower, the roofs of the side aisles and the dormers around the choir.

 

In order to form the striking architectural elements of Cologne Cathedral you need appropriate tools. And wood, glue, aluminium, copper and even more wax - that's it. A total of thirty-six such components were created for a total of fifty silicone molds. One of the larger columns required more than fifty individual parts; a finial consists of twenty-five parts, which were also sawn by hand. The above-mentioned ingredients were skilfully put together to create the molds into which the heated wax would be poured. Nevertheless, even while working with the silicone molds, constant free shaping and manual adjustment was essential. If the wax was too hot, the artist too impatient or the temperature in the workshop too high, the wax impressions were not accurate enough.

 

Being confronted with the architectural intricacies of the Gothic model every day, Telkmann’s respect for the skills of the medieval builders of Cologne Cathedral grew even more. The entire construction process of the tactile model was a daily learning experience.

 

 

April to June 2022

 

The months from April to June 2022 were primarily dedicated to work on the choir. The repeated calculations and corrections to the basic model paid off when positioning the roof gables, the pillars and the buttresses on the choir. The crossing tower and roof gables were now complete. The construction of the buttresses was completed in May 2022.

 

Now was the right time to put to test what had been created so far. Although accessibility regulations for many areas of life do exist, they are not binding. It was therefore logical to seek advice from a blind person. There would be still enough time to make the necessary changes if needed. To this end, Peter Füssenich organised a visit from a representative of the Archdiocese of Cologne's pastoral care for the disabled, accompanied by Mr Florsdorf, who has been blind since early childhood. It was a moving and important moment for everyone involved when Mr Florsdorf remarked after touching the model:‘So that's what it looks like!’Mr Florsdorf confirmed the tactile quality of the model and also provided important information on the positioning of the braille labels, which were to be fixed on the four sides of the base plinth. The tactile panels were bevelled to prevent rainwater from collecting on them. In addition the angled positioning ensures ergonomic touching for the blind.

 

Once the main work on the choir had been completed, work began on the ridge crest.

 

An initial attempt to mold this out of wire did not meet the artist's expectations; moreover, the distinctive structure would not have shown during the molding process. So a section of the characteristic ridge crest structure was sawn in copper and, as in the process described above, molded in silicone and cast piece by piece in wax.

 

July to September 2022

 

In July 2022, the average temperature in Cologne was 38°. Work on the towers, probably the most striking part of Cologne Cathedral, the spires and finials, took place during this month. After modelling the conical, octagonal spires, the tracery was no less complex to be renderd. Twenty-seven stamps were required for the surface design of each tower.

 

In addition to the mobile air conditioning unit, the workshop fridge became a lifesaver for the wax model when it finally got too hot to actually work on it at the end of July 2022. As a result what had been created so far was dismantled and stored in parts in the fridge. To the delight of all ice-cream shops, August 2022, with an average temperature of 36°, was good for business, but delayed work on the tactile model. Work could finally be resumed in September 2022. Well cooled and in perfect condition, the individual parts were reattached to the basic model. The cathedral towers and spires were created under more favourable climatic conditions. It took until November 2022 before the wax model of the Gothic Cathedral was finally recognisable as Cologne Cathedral thanks to its most important landmarks, including the spires and finials. Even for the pre-school child passing by the workshop one day: ‘Look Dad, Cologne Cathedral!’.

 

2023 - (almost) everything will be fine

 

January to March 2023

 

Further work on the project was partially interrupted at the beginning of the year by the carnival activities in Cologne, which were possible again for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Nevertheless, work on the choir and the west façade took place in January and February 2023.

 

More serious were the consequences for the artist's state of health from the beginning of March 2023, as a result of which work on the tactile model had to be suspended until further notice.

 

May to August 2023

 

In May 2023, Telkmann, now sufficiently recovered, was able to resume work on the cathedral project.

 

As the heat had risen even further over the summer and it was no longer possible to dismantle the wax model at this point, it was protected with a homemade heat shield (made of cardboard and aluminium foil). The mobile air conditioning system, now in use seven days a week, played a key role again in saving the artwork.

 

In June 2023, Telkmann worked on window details and the north and south portals were completed. The month of July 2023 was dedicated almost exclusively to the design of the surroundings. Reworking the base plate, designing the Dombauhütte (cathedral workshop) and the Sakristei (sacristy) . For obvious reasons, these elements were modeled in absolute basic form from wax and attached directly to the tactile model. The further the work on the tactile model progressed, the more the desire to preserve the work grew. Especially as it was clear from the outset that the model would not last once further processing in the foundry had begun. While modern computer technology can digitally preserve all types of objects by means of a 3D scan, it soon became clear that the technology would reach its limits in this case. Both the complexity of form and the material itself would make it impossible for the laser to work with the desired accuracy in the result. The only remaining option was to obtain a‘backup copy‘ of the wax model by manual work - a silicone casting processed by the Cologne art foundry Martin Schweitzer.

 

In June 2023 work was carried out on the window details, and the north and south sides were also completed.

 

As already mentioned, the text/tactile plates were provided on the four sides of the base plinth of the tactile model. In August 2023 Telkman designed these plates; the texts for those were created in consultation with the Dombauhütte. After being processed by the translation service of the Bavarian Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (BBSB), the Cologne-based engraving company Berger e. K. milled the texts into metal plates. These were then used to produce impressions in plastic using a negative mold, which were then attached to the tactile model.

 

 

 

September 2023 - it's done. Almost…

 

After final corrections and a complete overhaul of the surfaces, the tactile model was prepared for transport to the foundry on 18 September 2023. It felt a bit like saying goodbye to your child leaving for a school trip for the first time. The emptiness that spread through the workshop after the wax model, measuring 65 cm x 90 cm and approx. 70 cm high, had reached its next processing location is indescribable. Safely embedded and professionally stowed in a specially built wooden transport crate, the tactile model was transported to the Martin Schweitzer art foundry in Cologne Ossendorf by KNAB ART HANDLING Spedition GMBH, a company specialising in art transport. To this point is was believed that in January 2024 the tactile model of Cologne Cathedral would be cast in bronze.

 

2024 - Hope and fear

 

January 2024

 

The challenges of life and of work one the tactile model described at the beginning understandably did not leave Ingo Telkmann untouched. Considering what both artist and model had endured up to this point, the months that followed until the final completion (which was finally scheduled for September 2024) represented a very special kind of nervous strain.

 

End of January 2024 – the original idea of casting the wax model in silicone in one piece was untenable. Telkmann was therefore forced to partially dismantle the finished model again. The crossing tower had to be cut out of the roof at the base and the entire buttresses had to be removed. This was followed by several journeys between the foundry and the workshop; this time not by a transport company, but in the artist's own car. The organisation of these journeys had to be somehow integrated into the daily business and work routine. Man does not live by Dom alone.

 

March 2024

 

Production of the silicone model (by the Schweitzer foundry) as a backup copy and as a basis for the subsequent bronze casting. Using this silicone mold, the parts of the tactile model that had not withstood the silicone molding were recast in wax and the tactile model was completed piece by piece by Telkmann.

 

April 2024

 

The dismantled Dom returned to the artist’s workshop. A phase of reworking the complete wax model began. The repair was made more difficult by the fact that the black sculptor's wax used by Telkmann was no longer used exclusively and uniformly, but rather different casting waxes with different strengths, which caused the already fragile cross struts of the choir to become brittle and had different processing requirements overall. The spires, the finials, numerous tracery of the windows and portals, gables, pinnacles, fillets, the ridge crest, the entire crossing tower, the buttresses - the wax model was completed once again within a month.

 

May 2024

 

On the 15th of May 2024, in the presence of the artist and of representatives of the Domsitzung e.V., representatives of the Dombauhütte including Peter Füssenich, as well as a small team from WDR (a regional broadcaster), the largest part of the bronze casting of the Cologne Cathedral tactile model finally took place at the Schweitzer foundry.

 

July 2024

 

Re-chiselling of the bronze parts in Ingo Telkmann's workshop. The individual cast parts were regularly exchanged from the Schweitzer foundry to the artist's workshop in order to rework the choir, nave and transept, the towers and the crossing tower. Each component had to be felt, touched and assessed so that the finished bronze model would once again meet the artist’s the requirements. Not only did the visual appearance have to be adapted to the artist's eye, but the entire surface, which was inevitably altered by the bronze casting process, had to be checked for sharp edges.

 

At the end of July 2024, shortly before the foundry's well-deserved summer break, Telkmann went to the Schweitzer foundry for a few consecutive days to completely rework the components, which had been welded together in the meantime, according to his ideas, to straighten individual pinnacles and to work out details once again.

 

 

At the time this text was written, the Schweitzer foundry was still on its summer break, which is why the final work, which is to end with the transfer of the tactile model into the hands of the donor (Domsitzung e.V.) and thus to the Dombauhütte, has not yet taken place.

 

 

 

Cologne, 1st of September 2024