A beautiful theatre – an interview with Thorsten Knispel
The Kinder- und Jugendtheater Speyer children’s and youth theatre was established in 1990 and is now an integral part of the city’s culture. Painting contractor Knispel refurbished the interior of the heritage-protected building using SÜDWEST products.
The theatre in the old city hall is located in the heart of Speyer and is a listed building. What requirements did you have to comply with?
The usual regulations regarding the protection of historical buildings and monuments applied in the interior. And the job was to refurbish the interior only, not the facade.
How did SÜDWEST products help you to fulfil the specifications?
For the rooms where children are often present, it was important to use water-based products, as they have the least impact on indoor air quality. In this context, the SÜDWEST portfolio offers the right solutions for walls, windows, doors, and floors. The warm colour shades of the walls were also to be retained.
You commissioned our SÜDWEST colour studio to help with the presentation to the decision-makers. How did the studio assist you?
We were able to develop and present two design proposals, which were accepted. Then there were a few rounds of feedback and corrections before we got to where we wanted to be. When it came to the ceiling construction, for example, we recommended painting the arches in the wall colour all the way up to make the room look more harmonious.
The theatre refurbishment encompassed many different areas including fire protection, electrics, etc. How long did it take, and what was it like working with the other trades?
The fire protection requirements were very strict, which did delay the overall process at times. But the different trades all worked very well together and we are very happy with the results. The refurbishment process took a year to complete.
Which SÜDWEST products did you use? And which product advantages contributed to the decision?
The staircase is quite narrow, and there’s a lot of hustle and bustle in a children’s theatre. We therefore needed a durable emulsion paint with wet-scrub resistance class 1 for the walls – so we opted for SÜDWEST DekoStar. For the dark stage backdrop, we used SÜDWEST EuroClassic because of its good application properties and strong hiding power. When it came to the windows and doors, SÜDWEST AquaVision® PU-Weißlack was the only option. Its application properties, drying, and hiding power are simply outstanding.
Would you recommend the SÜDWEST products to others?
Always. The results speak for themselves.
What challenges did you face due to the roof construction?
The roof construction was complicated – it has many angles and panels, and parts of the substrate were painted. We therefore opted for SÜDWEST AquaVision® All-Grund, which works on all substrates. We had to keep moving the twelve-metre-high scaffolding around the room. But the work went smoothly – straight after two application cycles with the primer, we were able to apply the lacquer in a criss-cross pattern.
How long have you been using SÜDWEST products for? What do you like about them?
We’ve always used them actually. My father used SÜDWEST All-Grund during his apprenticeship 50 years ago. We use all of the products from the SÜDWEST range, whether it’s interior paints, facade paints, lacquers, lasures, or floor paints. The quality, the value for money, the strong hiding power, and the application properties are very convincing. And that’s what matters, because ultimately we want our customers to be happy.
Do you have any requests for SÜDWEST?
It’s important to us that the products keep undergoing further development. Anything that makes application easier and increases cost-effectiveness is good news for us.
Mr Knispel, how long has your painting business been in operation? How many employees do you have?
I founded the painting business 16 years ago. My father came on board too and has been supporting me ever since. We have 6 employees and we are a good team.
