The Gate Hall of Lorsch - comprehensive assessment methods to calibrate simulation models and adapt conservation strategies

The Torhalle ("Gate Hall") of Lorsch, also called King's Hall, is one of the best preserved examples of Karoling architecture in Germany, dating back to 760 A.C. The hall is located on the first floor above an entrance gate to a monastery and is believed to have been used as a church originally. It features valuable Romanic wall paintings. In the 1980ies thorough investigations were conducted on the building and its indoor environment which shows high relative humidity all year round. In 1991 a controlled ventilation system was introduced that promised to lower RH significantly. Already in 1992 it was turned off by a sceptical conservator. Now the building faces the same problems as before and new research is taking place, looking at collected climate data and past experience. The aim is to develop a new climatisation strategy for the Gatehall. For this purpose the whole building simulation tool WUFI Plus is applied, to assess the use of different HVAC systems for the specific building and location at Lorsch and also to research the possible effects on indoor environmental fluctuations that might be harmful to the ancient wallpaintings. This research is part of the European project Climate for Culture on the effects of climate change on cultural heritage.