The Cecina ball in the center of Gilching is in need of renovation again.
The Gilching municipal council debates the problem artwork this Tuesday.
The history.
Gilching - The work of art in the center of the village is a constant theme in Gilching.
Now the council is concerned again.
Set up in 2009 on the occasion of 20 years of partnership between Cecina and Gilching, the 100,000-euro sphere had to be renovated in 2017.
Now, four years later, it is ailing again - and a sustainable renovation is not in sight.
Opinions were divided on the work of art, two halves of parquet planks held together by bronze arms. Some found the ball "ugly", others were proud of the partnership symbol. At that time, models for the hands were, among others, the former mayor Thomas Reich, the late partnership advisor Adelheid Dörmer and the chairman of the Cecina Association, Jakob Promoli. Even then, experts criticized wood as a material because it had a life of its own and because of its curved shape it quickly fell out of joint. It soon became true what the artist Antonio Fiengo refused to admit. Various parquet parts came loose, the deformed wood could not withstand the weather conditions and rot.
The Cecina landmark had to be dismantled in autumn 2017 and extensively renovated for 6,000 euros.
Incidentally, two out of three Gilching companies refused to take part in the tender.
They feared that the renovation would not last.
Mayor Manfred Walter nevertheless endorsed it with the reasoning: “There are basically maintenance costs for the market place in the household.
This also includes the landmark. "
Parquet planks warped, wood rotten and crumbled
New adversity appeared less than four years later. The newly installed parquet planks warped, the wood rotten and crumbled again. The community had no choice but to cover the cavities with black plastic sheeting a few weeks ago and to set up a barrier around the work of art for safety. There were complaints ("eyesore"), so the council should decide in its meeting today what to do. "A short-term and permanent renovation of the wooden components is not possible," it says in the draft resolution. "There are no suitable wooden building materials that are installed inside the sphere without ventilation and that can withstand the weather in the long term outside."
Should the work of art be restored to its original state in a laborious and expensive manner, the community will face the same problem again in a few years, fears building authority manager Max Huber.
In the meantime, the local retailers have also intervened and issued a statement.
Since according to the council resolution, a redesign concept for the market square and pedestrian zone is planned, Nikolaus Reis jun.
on behalf of the local shops and restaurants, offered to actively provide ideas for redesign and location issues.
The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the town hall.
Uli Singer