Germany is #1 in the world for energy efficiency so it only makes sense they’d put more emphasis on the look of their power plants too! Recently completed, the Lausward Power Plant in Düsseldorf’s harbor is the world’s most state-of-the-art. It has not only been supplying the city with climate-friendly electricity and district heat since the beginning of 2016, but serving as an attraction for visitors who want a sky-high view of the city. Visible from at the bend of the river Rhine and, as a distinct landmark, the plant indicates the city’s south-west boundary. A facade made of steel frames wraps the various building components of the new power plant in a uniform cloak. The individual modules have been designed to meet the diverse requirements of the inner workings. At the same time, the rhythmic pattern of the skin divides the vast scale of the facility into units. The largest frame element completing the plant in the north-east, the so-called “City Window”, incorporates the smokestack – the highest point in the complex. A lift takes groups of visitors up to an observation deck approximately 148 feet above the ground from where, through a fully glazed facade, they can see across the vast expanse of the power plant as far as Cologne and north across the river Rhine to Düsseldorf’s city centre.
Designer: kadawittfeldarchitektur
