The purpose of the project was to preserve and renovate the original wooden elements in the Templar building used by the Ministry of Defense.

 

The building is a four story structure that has undergone numerous changes and modern additions have been added to it. The renovation measures focused on the main staircase that connects the three upper stories; a new metal staircase leads to the basement level.

 

The original staircase was built of soft pine. Additions that were added to it over the years, such as layers of plywood to the treads of the stairs, were removed. Some eighty percent of stairs were replaced and the banister was reconstructed based on the remains of original details that were preserved.

 

The reconstruction of the original elements was implemented using durable oak that is suitable for a public structure in which the materials wear easily owing to the intensive use of the building. By means of the banister columns that extend the entire height of the stairwell, the staircase became a system that stabilized the building’s construction.