Page 71 - Beyond Decommissioning

52 Beyond Decommissioning

continued into the early nuclear age in the United Kingdom as Basil Spence, archi-
tect of Coventry cathedral, was appointed to design and construct Trawsfynydd NPP
in Wales (1959). To reflect the new awesome technology, Spence took the course of
undiminished monumentality. The visual impact of the two 20-story monoliths in
the middle of the Snowdonia National Park was deemed irrelevant. At that time, this
cultural approach was appropriate: actually, nuclear power was viewed as a symbol
of British glory (The Guardian, 2008) and technological power (Fig. 1.5). Today,
after decades of ecological sensitization, a visitor is more likely to see the huge plant
as a heinous eyesore in an Arcadian scenery. But in the post-World War II years the
general attitude was to see the plant as fitting well the natural landscape. The archi-
tectural vision is well described in Munce (1964). “With the advent of the nuclear
power stations we see the domination of the landscape by new and exciting shapes,
standing proud, yet embracing the countryside as the great Gothic Cathedrals
embraced the towns. Here indeed is a challenge for the architect and planner. An
enormous building of this type is a magnificent asset to a landscape which is itself
of large scale either open or mountainous. Such a building or group of buildings is
not meant to fit into the landscape but to dominate it.” The early context of
Trawsfynydd spanned back for millennia: reportedly the design took inspiration
from the stone monuments of prehistoric Britain (e.g., the world-famous Stone-
henge) (NYTimes, 1995).
NPPs, particularly those with natural draft cooling towers, stand out from their
background. They are clearly visible and distinct from as far off as 15km. Nuclear
plants are usually situated in open areas near bodies of water, rendering cooling towers
even more visible. There are few environments where such imposing buildings are
well integrated with the landscapes. Transmission lines should also be included in
the assessment of visual impacts.
One could rightly assume that once the nuclear plant has been built and in operation
for many years, there is little to do about its aesthetics and the aesthetic impact on the
environment. However, one may also safely assume that a negative aesthetic appraisal
could lead to a decision for prompt, total dismantling and site release (although aes-
thetics is not normally the main factor for pursuing this strategy). Still the aesthetic
factor is considered when a long period of safe enclosure is planned for the nuclear
plant. And, this book advocates structural reuse as the preferred strategy.
When Trawsfynydd was permanently shutdown in 1991, the industry was open to
ideas about the fate of the plant. In the 1990s, a BBC program invited architects and
designers to submit proposals: these ranged from turning the plant into film studios, or
burying it under a mound of rubble. The strategic debate on Trawsfynydd fate is given
in detail in Laraia (2012). In the meantime, to mitigate aesthetic concerns, the
50-m-tall buildings were lowered by a third, and they were clad in local slate. The
reactors will not be ready for dismantling until 2078. Until then, the buildings will
sit there idle, with no site redevelopment possible.
Now the issue is: should new NPPs look “beautiful” or at least visually accept-
able? As the debate about the London National Theater shows (Chapter 1) opinions
about the beauty of contemporary art differ widely. And, industrial buildings are