Page 175 - Beyond Decommissioning

156 Beyond Decommissioning

The buildings were part of what was once known as Berkeley Labs, a testing and
engineering center used in the 1960s–80s mainly in support of the commercialization
of nuclear power.
SGS Berkeley GREEN opened in September 2017 after the conversion of
existing buildings into a purpose-built training center. The center is to provide
specialist high-quality vocational and academic education for learners with a strong
interest in Advanced Manufacturing and Digital Technologies including Cyber
Security.
The redevelopment also brings about new business opportunities, offering 28,000
2
m of commercial floor space including offices, workshops, laboratories, and confer-
ence halls (NEI, 2014).

6.2.1.6 Chester Power Plant, PA, USA
In 1916, the WWI need for electricity resulted in a large power station at Chester,
Pennsylvania. The 3.7-ha building exhibited imposing Doric columns and a 35-m high
vaulted ceiling. A former brownfield deserted since the 1980s, the plant was later
redeveloped by adaptive reuse. In 2000, the Pennsylvania Electric Company sold
the abandoned plant for a nominal fee to Preferred Real Estate Investment, which took
care of removing asbestos, lead and other hazardous waste. The cleanup work resulted
in 10,000 t of scrap metal; 20,000 t of concrete and brick were recycled as fill. At that
point in time, the new owner hired a specialist contractor to convert the space into a
corporate headquarters. The existing industrial features were kept as intact as possible
and gaps were left between old and new elements. The contractor did not modify the
ceiling, columns, or bronze sconces in the turbine hall. The architects also kept a 60-t
crane that serviced the turbines during power operation and had proved of great help
during the giant rehabilitation.
In the middle of the hall stands a glowing glass box containing a staff caf e, training
rooms, and a data center. On top of the box, a carpeted deck, a mezzanine accommo-
dates up to 800 people attending conferences. Moving adaptive reuse further, the com-
pany even formed an event-planning offshoot to rent out the venue. This is the reason
why there is not only a row of four large projection screens but also a stage, dance
floor, lounge, and a bar.
Every workstation in the office area, once the boiler house, is open to daylight and
offers panoramic views.
The project, which has produced hundreds of jobs in the former shipbuilding town,
won the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia’s Grand Jury Award
(Electrical Contractor, 2007).

6.2.1.7 Liverpool Power Station, NSW, Australia
A former heritage-listed power plant—Tonkin (2000)—may have interesting similar-
ities with the world-famous Tate Modern, London. The plant had become too small to
be economic and was shut down. The City Council held a referendum about what to do