Page 225 - Beyond Decommissioning

206 Beyond Decommissioning

CF architects looked to the future needs of autonomous electric vehicles for its con-
cept two spiraling car parks with charging points and drop-off spots for both terrestrial
and flying Old gasholder sites have also prompted a number of other interesting pro-
posals in recent years.
Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron recently unveiled plans to convert Stockholm’s
former gasworks into a residential neighborhood”).
Among recently completed projects, one should mention the three interlocking gas-
holders, a distinct section of London King’s Cross industrial heritage. The gasholders
have now been cleaned up and incorporated into a modern design, which converts
them into a residential complex.
The gasholders redevelopment offers a range of open spaces for the residents, as
well as such amenities as a gym, spa, rentable work space, and meeting room. The
outdoor areas include a spacious terrace with gardens.
The project, consisting of concrete cylinders of eight, nine, and 12 stories, origi-
nates 145 units including studios, three bedroom apartments, duplexes and pent-
houses. Although the construction is full adherent to modern standards, it respects
the historic features and lies enclosed within the Grade II-listed Victorian iron col-
umns and struts.
The interior architecture merges industrial, craft and luxury components. Natural
materials such as lye-treated oak, and special details, such as the bathrooms’ cast con-
crete basins add a measure of refinement. A selection of retail shops will be housed on
the gasholders ground level, incentivizing public access to the buildings
(Wallpaper, 2018).
Construction of the Oberhausen Gasometer (Gasholder), Germany started in 1927:
the plant started operation in 1929. During WWII the plant was repeatedly bombed,
but managed to continue operation. In fact, when directly hit, it did not shattered, but
the gas caught fire and pressure was being slowly lost. The Gasometer was finally shut
down by the end of 1944. After being destroyed by fire in 1946 during repairs it was
entirely demolished. However, the rupture disc used in operation and the roof were re-
installed during the reconstruction.
In the 1980s the use for the Gasometer declined, as natural gas was more
economical. Eventually the plant was considered redundant and taken out of
service in 1988.
A hot debate focused on the fate of the plant. In 1992 the city council voted to take
control of the Gasometer and turn it into a cultural space. Conversion and redevelop-
ment were completed in following years. The original rupture disc was blocked a few
meters high, while exhibition space was installed underneath. However, the main
exhibition area is located above the rupture disc and has a stage and 500 seats. Visitors
can reach the roof via stairs or elevators (NRW, 2018).
An old idea came up new for gasholder redevelopment. The art of panorama was a
popular concept in the late 18th and early 19th centuries: viewers stood in the center of
a huge circular painting depicting a panoramic view. A gasholder is an excellent place
for a panorama of this kind. Two “panometers” were installed in Leipzig and Dresden,
Germany (Panometer, n.d.).
Fig. 6.24 shows the idle Rome gasholder, still to be redeveloped (or demolished).