What Techniques Were Used to Build the Neuschwanstein Castle?
Erecting the most beloved and visited palace of Germany from the beginning brought novel and modern techniques into the action. Developing the look, the building plan and construction inside and out of Neuschwanstein Castle, King Ludwig II incorporated opera, Prussian folk heroes and a love of the romantic rather than tradition-laden ideas of defending the Keep. Finished the same year as the Eiffel Tower and New York's first steel-framed high-rise, this popular tourist attraction includes beauty, convenience, modern amenities and a timeless enchantment that Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle mimics in the truest charm of this outstanding mix of building techniques.
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Design
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Finished in 1892, the design of Neuschwanstein Castle, Scwangau, Germany, came to King Ludwig from the operas of his muse, Richard Wagner. Writing two of his operas based on German hero figures Lohengrin and the Swan King, Wagner's influence on Ludwig's palace required contemporary construction more than traditional methods.
Christian Jank
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Hiring court theatrical designer Christian Jank to create illustrations from his ideas for both the inside and outside, Ludwig already broke custom by not using an architect for the original rendering of the building on paper. Using Ludwig's desire for an ornate abode as a focus, Jank moved direction from his first drawings of a Gothic theme toward a Romanesque style. The final sketch shows Jank drew much of his influence from Mughal architecture. The renowned Taj Mahal of India epitomizes the Mughal style (a blend of Indian, Persian and Arabic).
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Getting Started
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Interpreting the ideas of Jank's view of Ludwig's Neuschwanstein required a blueprint design by architect Eduard Riedel. Erecting this wonder of German royal residents first required clearing the forest to install an access road to the lofty construction site. Removal of a large rock outcrop allowed for the foundation stones to be set.
A Castle of Stone
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Assembling the castle from the ground up, workers used concrete to cement the foundation stones and brick-laid walls. As the shape of the building reached upward, wooden scaffolding kept workers astride the ever-rising walls, towers and turrets. Built entirely of stone and red brick, the outer covering has a pale limestone veneer.
A Steel-Framed Room
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Creating the Byzantine style-exemplified by the high-dome ceilings of the Istanbul Church of Haggai Sophia, the Throne Room required steel framing held together with iron rivets hammered into pre-made holes. This state-of-the-art construction technique was less than a decade old at the time of the Castle's completion in 1892.
Sculpturing
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Sculptured marble incorporates another building element and technique into the look of the Neuschwanstein elegance. Hand-wrought works of art chiseled from this stone favored throughout the ages cover walls and passageways. Visiting this most popular of German castles, the eye moves to the carved coat of arms directly overhead as you step into the main entrance.
Modern Conveniences
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Using up-to-date plumbing systems of the end of the 19th century provided running water for bathroom and kitchen alike. Bathing no longer required buckets of stove-heated water because both cold and hot water was available by the turn of a faucet on all floors of the palace.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit about.com, wikipedia, Guide to Castles of Europe, imageenvision.com,
