Floor installation in new Synagogue in Ulm

The synagogue’s prayer room gets a lot of light through the windows facing Jerusalem, and the oak wood flooring gives it a comfortable atmosphere. The installation systems for the floor come from Ulmer Uzin Utz SE, and were implemented by Schanbacher Parkett- und Fußbodentechnik.

Synagogue and Jewish community centre are wrapped up in one single building, one compact rectangular prism. The solitaire stands on the edge of the Platz am Weinhof, just a few metres away from the site of the former synagogue, which was destroyed during Kristallnacht on 9 November 1938. The new building, 24 m wide, 16 m deep, and 17 m tall, which originated in one version as the winner of a contest, covers several uses: Foyer, synagogue, mikvah (ritual bath), assembly room, classrooms, and administrative spaces, as well as a daycare centre with an interior courtyard not visible.

Synagogue room oriented towards Jerusalem

All rooms are orthogonally oriented. Only the synagogue is twisted around the lone free-standing pillar, its axis shifted diagonally. The orientation of the prayer room to the south-east is because this orientation points towards Jerusalem. From this, the distinctive corner window arose, which illuminates the room with 600 small openings in the Star of David motif. “The synagogue room is exactly like the community hall, with inlaid oak block parquet. We consciously chose to use this material because we wanted to create a homey atmosphere in spite of the sacred space. We received a special recommendation to use the UZIN UTZ company for this,” says Professor Susanne Gross, partner at ksg. The floor construction was done in close cooperation with the construction management and the technical leads from UZIN and Schanbacher Parkett- und Fußbodentechnik.
The flooring professionals installed 120 m² in the synagogue’s ground floor, and 128 m² in the community hall and other areas in the first floor, reliably and commensurate with the visually sophisticated appearance.

Fast flooring construction and secure wood flooring installation

For a tension-free and firm substrate that can also stand up to heavy traffic without effort, UZIN recommended the rapid cement screed CT-C35-F5 for the substrate, which is based on UZIN NC 198. After thoroughly sanding down and vacuuming the screed, bonding the industrial parquet, 160 x 8 x 22 mm in size, could begin immediately. Red oak was chosen for the type of wood, and was installed in parallel with UZIN MK 92 S. The solvent-free, anhydrous 2-component polyurethane adhesive is especially suited for installing wood flooring without bulges, right on areas with heavy stress. The PUR adhesive can be spread really well, settles in quickly, and has no shrinkage even in thick coats. “Its strong filling power and fast setting allow for secure bonding and enable the area to be sanded after just 24 hours,” says Michael Schanbacher. “With the time-saving, reliable products from UZIN and Pallmann, fast building progress and high-quality floor installation is guaranteed,” explains the floor expert.

Gloss and brilliance in the interior

After sanding down, the water-based joint filler liquid PALL-X KITT could be spread on right away, which reliably seals the joints in the wooden floor. “This joint filler liquid does not cause any colour change in the joint, and dries very quickly,” says Schanbacher. After about twenty minutes, the patched area was sanded down again and the surface was primed with PALL-X after carefully removing the traces of sanding. The water-based 1-component wood flooring primer optimally prepares the wood floor surface for varnish. Due to the high stress on the floor, the UZIN application engineers decided to use the wood flooring lacquer PALL-X 96 here, which best protects the wood flooring surfaces in residential and public buildings and imparts a harmonious presence with long-lasting gloss. The varnish is also ecologically harmless, has the GISCODE W3+, and meets the TRGS 617 standards. “The light that falls into the prayer room through the relief structure in the corner window lends the whole room a unique atmosphere,” says Michael Schanbacher, describing the effect of the interior design, “the floor brings in an additional personal touch.”