Industrial buildings, and especially power stations, are very rarely buildings that are noted for any sort of aesthetic values and/or qualities. As a matter of fact, areas with such buildings are only visited by those who work there and almost never by outsiders, due to their lack of, well, appeal, to say the least. For example, you wouldn't go to a factory or a warehouse to admire its architectural appearance. Such structures have historically been strictly functional, sticking to standardized designs, that are cheap and functional. But every once and a while, architects step in and try to break the negative stereotypes of such industrial architecture, and here I have found such a brilliant example.
This is what I believe to be, a fine example, of how even the most functional of structures - a power station - can still be turned aestethically pleasing, while still maintaining its function. The design mimics the dynamic movement of the water, in a pleasing and vibrant way, making the concrete structure an interesting and dynamic addition to the city's river area, while also having a form that is hydrodynamically practical and efficient - a perfect harmony between architectural aesthetics and engineering functionality.
Whether or not the surfaces of the power station are publicly accesible is unknown to me, but I can clearly imagine the organic top of the structure being an exciting place for seating by the river, and if the structure was more directly connected to the pedestrian area by the river, I imagine that the two could've, in great harmony, have created an utmost attractive social hang-out area by the river, with perhaps possibilites for events of all sorts, or quite simply, just areas with views of the river and the urban landscape that surrounds it. The rest of the pictures and material, I'll leave to you to check out, at Architizer's page linked bellow.
Further reading:
- Andy Minchev
