HENN Architekten wins architectural competition for Gas and Steam Power Plant in Wedel, Germany. For more images as well as the architects' description continue after the jump:
From the Architects:
In the outskirts of Hamburg, on the banks of the Elbe sits Wedel, where a new, energy-efficient gas and steam turbine power plant is planned for the former coal-fired power station site. The new power station is positioned to the north of the river bank to allow the uninterrupted riverside promenade passage open to the public. While the majority of the existing station has been demolished, individually striking industrial relics and architecturally significant elements, such as the listed machine hall, are retained and put to cultural use.
An important component of the design is the envelope of the new power station building, which creates a vibrant setting for the processes taking place within. Water as the energy carrier, the changing state of various units, lightness and variability suggest the model of a cloud for the facade design. The sides of the building are divided into transparent and opaque areas constructed in fair-faced concrete, semi-transparent structural glass, glass blocks, reinforced concrete and glass profiles. The variously reflective surfaces of the building change in appearance with the weather and position of the sun, symbolically describing the function of the power station. Exposed building components, such as chimneys, tanks and the air capacitor, are constructed in reflective steel plates and accentuate the industrial character of the complex.
Project: Gas and Steam Power Plant
Designed by HENN Architekten
Location: Wedel, Germany
Website: www.henn.com
