Unique office space in the historic "Grube Carl"
Carl Factory in operation 1905–1995
The former Grube Carl briquette factory is an impressive example of early 20th-century industrial architecture.
From its commissioning in 1905 until the end of production in 1995, over 35 million tonnes of briquettes rolled off the presses here. In the foreground of the picture above, you can see the workshop and cold store, which now house the offices of PROJECT FLOORS. In the background is the drying and pressing house, which was converted into residential space after the factory closed down.
Closure of the factory in 1995
The factory underwent continuous expansion until the 1970s. However, as demand for lignite briquettes declined steadily over the years, the Carl briquette factory finally closed its doors in 1995.
With the end of production, nature reclaimed the former factory site.
Conversion – from industrial wasteland to modern residential and commercial space
As early as 1992, the city of Frechen began planning an urban expansion in the vicinity of the still-operating factory. In order to make sensible use of the space, a total of 120 hectares of land consisting of industrial wasteland, ecologically valuable green spaces, agricultural land and scattered settlements had to be redesigned after the briquette factory was shut down. In 2002, the decision was made to develop a new district called “Grube Carl” from the urban expansion area
Parallel to the construction of new residential buildings on the land freed up by the demolition of the factory, the former factory buildings – which are listed as historic monuments – were also converted into residential and commercial space. Examples include the drying and pressing house, probably the most striking building on the site, and the former wet processing facility. The complete redevelopment of the former factory site was completed by 2011.
The wet service, cold storage and workshop buildings were already renovated in 2004. At the beginning of 2005, the Cologne-based firm ASTOC began working closely with the Rhineland Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments on plans to convert the drying and pressing house and the low-pressure boiler house. In July 2005, work began on gutting the buildings.
The “workshop” and “cold store” we use, as well as the flats and commercial premises in the other former factory buildings, are characterised by a special charm shaped by their industrial past. Due to their listed status, characteristic elements such as the masonry façade had to be preserved.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to Mr Peter Kleinen from Frechen for his support and for providing us with film, photo and text material, which we were allowed to use for the design of this page, among other things. Further thanks go to Mr Jürgen Kemmerling, former managing director of the Frechen urban development company, which oversaw the conversion of the “Grube Carl” between 2000 and 2010. He shared with us his many years of experience with the “Grube Carl” and his knowledge of the associated restructuring measures.
We are delighted that this page allows us to contribute in some small way to keeping the history of the “Grube Carl” alive.