Built on rubble the Zatra-Haus stands. A testament to postwar Düsseldorf. This striking building at Alexanderstraße 36 and 38 isn’t just office space. It’s a story in concrete glass and mosaic. Paul Schneider-Esleben designed this marvel. He created it between 1951 and 1952. The Zatra company commissioned its construction. Zatra a leader in transport technology in the 1950s. They designed conveyors hoists and elevators for industrial giants. The name Zatra itself is intriguing. A portmanteau of the founders’ surnames Zangen and Trappen.
The original Zatra-Haus boasted a stunning facade. A large mosaic by Georg Meistermann adorned the gable end facing Oststraße. This vibrant artwork symbolized Zatra’s work. It showcased the company’s dedication to efficient transport systems. Sadly this magnificent mosaic is gone. Lost to a misguided modernization. The building itself is a marvel of functionality. It rests on concrete pillars clad in gray-blue glass mosaics. These support a concrete structure. The main structure is covered in gray and white mosaics.
Each section of the Zatra-Haus is incredibly narrow. Just 1.2 meters wide. This reflects the standard office desk width of that era. The ground floor was fully glazed. This showcased the supporting concrete pillars. It also highlighted the exterior-supported floor slabs. The materials were carefully selected. Concrete white Detopakglas for window sills eloxed aluminum for window connections and steel for frames and railings. The interior featured gray terrazzo floors. The staircases had black steps. The light colors dominated the facade. White mosaics light blue window frames white opaque glass and silver aluminum. All this created a joyful ambiance. A stark contrast to the somber buildings around it.
Heinrich Klotz describes the pre-renovation Zatra-Haus vividly. He recounts the bombed-out ruins that predated the building. The existing steel supports were encased in white mosaic. The original glass facade used steel profiles with single glazing. Double glazing and aluminum profiles were not yet common. The expansion towards Oststraße allowed for Meistermann’s striking mosaic. This artwork caused quite a stir among the city’s residents. A later renovation removed this remarkable mosaic. The renovation irrevocably altered the building’s original architecture. The Zatra-Haus stands as a reminder of a bygone era. A testament to innovative design and the fleeting nature of progress. It is also a reminder of the importance of preserving historical structures.