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Kempten in the Allgaeu - Germany is a medieval place, at the foothills of the Alps; not a place to experiment with such forms, or so one could think; however, local architectural office Becker Architecture designed something from another world, this huge sculptural hydroelectric power station, according to Yatzer.com.
Let's take a look at this beautiful hydroelectric plant in Germany, thanks to Brigida Gonzalez, who took these amazing photographs.
Courtesy, photographer Brigida Gonzalez
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The hydroelectric power-plant, which replaced the older one, supports about 3,000 households with 10.5 million kilowatt-hours of environmentally friendly power per year, says Yatzer.com.
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The planning of the project was nearly complete, until the authorised agency demanded a design that would fit in a delicate manner into the existing building assemblage of the former spinnery mills and the natural landscape of the Iller River, it says.
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On the one hand the power plant has a very restrained visual language and puts the mills under stage, but at the same time it is self-confident and modern and the relationship with the existing surrounding environment creates an interplay, which is the strength, and the support of this design, says Yatzer.com.
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The design given by Becker Architects may appear futuristic, but the process was entirely conventional; its extraordinary contour is the result of fifty handmade models, while its organic structure is the severe contrast to the industrial architecture of the plant, it says.
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In any case, Becker Architects do not intend to render the power station invisible nor do they intend to overstate its technical power, says Yatzer.com.
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However, as a self-sufficient structure of contemporary architecture, it allows the retaining of the identity of the former industrial buildings and the river landscape, without however rejecting its own, it says.
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On the contrary, the sculptural structure highlights the dividing line between river and buildings, using an architectural idiom of metaphors associated with the river landscape, says Yatzer.com.
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Appearing to be made out of soft, malleable material, it establishes a semantic link between the use of renewable hydroelectric energy and the gentle method of harnessing that energy, it says.
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A layer of river pebbles protect the concrete from other elements and the river itself, and provide a link to the setting, says Yatzer.com.
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The exterior skin symbolises the rocky structure, the pebbles coming from the river onto the structure, it says.
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In addition, other ecologically significant aspects were also prioritized, such as the inclusion of a fish ladder and measures to minimize the noise, says Yatzer.com.
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The interior is like a cathedral in raw concrete; you can see the interior like a hull of a ship or a skeleton-like formulation; consciously raw and really quite rough, it says.
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Rough wooden boards were used for the interior formwork, while the exterior was spray-coated, giving the surface an almost velvety temperament well suited to its shape, steering clear of inconsiderate light effects, says Yatzer.com.
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This in turn guarantees a smooth transition from the shell to the pale, fair-faced concrete walls enclosing the power station in the water, says Yatzer.com.