After almost two years of conception and realisation, the City of Dornbirn, the Dornbirn Municipal Archives under the directorship of Werner Matt, together with all the contributors and staff, are pleased to announce the opening of the “Stadtspuren”. This unique open-air museum in the Dornbirn city area tells stories of innovative ideas and constant change, of former large companies, working conditions and immigration at 15 stations; a search for traces along historical sites and objects, sponsored by the province of Vorarlberg and the Federal Ministry of Art and Culture. The opening of the industrial trail was celebrated centrally at the inatura on 07 May 2023, representing all the stations.
The air spring hammer from 1908 was rescued from a Rüschwerke workshop and set up and restored in front of the inatura – Naturschau workshop building. A fragment of the old drive shaft is mounted above the hammer on a historic steel structure, which is now driven by an electric motor via old leather belts for demonstration purposes. To provide protection from direct rain and snow, a flying roof was to be erected over the hammer.
In order to minimise the roofing and to continue the design language of the historical construction and the adaptation of 1998, the roof was welded only from 8 mm thick steel sheets, which achieve a high stability and load-bearing capacity through the folded shape. Big Thanks to Gordian Kley (statics, kmp engineers, Dornbirn) and locksmith Markus Kalb and his men for their congenial contribution.