The Grand Ballroom in the northeast wing of Dresden Palace marks the eastern starting point of a sequence of three rooms in the museum tour on the second floor.
The goal was to reconstruct the architectural layout of the ‘Ball and Concert Hall’ from the years 1846 – 1848 – without chandeliers, gilding or murals, but incorporating as much of the preserved original material as possible, including elements from later versions.
The starting point for the reconstruction was the shell of the hall. Initial reconstruction work on the palace as a museum complex had begun in 1986. In the Ballroom, shotcrete was applied to the west wall leading to the tower room, and reinforced concrete ceilings were installed in accordance with the floor structure as it existed prior to 1880.
The geometric reconstruction of the room was complicated by war-related deformations in the existing structure: two-dimensional measurement plans could only capture these to a limited extent. In addition, partially rectified and scaled photographs served as an important basis for planning.
The hall, which has been remodeled several times, was given a Renaissance-style design around 1850 by Wolframsdorf and Bendemann, as documented in a historical photograph. The ceiling design, featuring star-shaped plaster moldings, the elaborately structured wall cladding of plaster stucco, and the sandstone door jambs with decorative plaster and wood inlays all date from this period.
Marble panels in the balustrade area and lunette grilles in the window niches date from later construction phases.
World War II left severe damage to the ballroom: parts of the wall architecture remained in place as stucco fragments, while other findings were stored in the depot.
Historical photograph by H. Krone,
SKD Kupferstichkabinett
The systematic sorting and research of the preserved building fabric encompassed approximately 100 different building components and plaster findings, which were evaluated, classified, and contextualized from historical, spatial, and structural engineering perspectives.
Wall elevations serving as overview plans were used in the first step to record and classify the findings.
Column with capital figure, 2025
A 3D model enabled the precise mapping of the room layout and the proportions of the walls. Based on this, a plan was developed for the technical fabrication of the components, which included the inlay and pulling work as well as the application of plaster in layers. Particular attention was paid to the non-vertical wall slopes—they directly determine the required plaster thickness and thus the exact depth at which the inserts must be placed.
Marble slab - column, 2025
Working closely with conservators, the components were divided into nine packages based on thematic and structural considerations. In addition to the size of the individual parts, the cohesion within a composition and the timing of their installation in the hall were also relevant factors. On this basis, sculptors developed models of the components, always in consultation with the historic preservation authorities. The approved models served as templates for the production of the stucco components as inserts, as well as for the stencils used in the application of the stucco and its installation in the room.
Niche with findings, 2025
Nearly 100 component sheets detail not only the location, construction method, and existing conditions of each element, but also the required plaster application, the distinction between pulling and inserting work and the profiling of every single component.
The connections between the preserved historical elements and the newly manufactured components – executed on-site with meticulous precision – define the overall appearance of the hall.
Particular design care was required for the transitions to the two adjacent rooms, whose door jambs – made of sandstone, stucco, and wood – bring together different materials and dimensional tolerances.
Parapet, 2025
Nothing remained of the wooden shield arches after the destruction of the war. An analysis of historical photographs, combined with explanations from the restoration team, formed the basis for a comprehensive structural analysis of the arch’s profile based on historical models.
The two outer window niches on the south side were historically designed as decorative elements featuring mirrors and false doors; their design was restored accordingly.
Six decorative grilles from a later period, which had been stored in the depot, were refurbished and incorporated into the room’s design. Their exact placement was determined based on historical photographs, material-specific characteristics such as texture and weight, as well as existing mounting points on the grilles and in the window arch reveals.
Southeast corner, 2025
The distortion of the room’s geometry caused by structural deformations is particularly noticeable at the junction of the walls and ceiling. The Krone photograph served as the sole basis for designing the ceiling with its ribbed structure. After weighing the structural and design considerations between a traditional wire mesh ceiling and a drywall construction, the decision was made to use a drywall ceiling with an aluminum profile substructure as the rib framework. The decisive factors were the high degree of prefabrication, the short installation time, the ease of maintenance, and the integration of building services components. The entire ceiling geometry could be fully represented using four segment types in just under 60 dimensional variations.
The model development illustrates the process from rough shaping to intricate ornamentation. A prime example of the ceiling elements is the ‘Large Conical Element,’ which is positioned at the intersections of eight ribs.
Large Conical Element. 2025
