Chemnitz towers: The chimney in the Chemnitz-Nord cogeneration plant
Location: Furth, Dammweg 10
Construction period: 1979-1984
Although not a tower in the true sense of the word, the chimney of the northern combined heat and power plant is an eye-catcher visible from afar and one of Chemnitz's most popular landmarks - at over 300 metres, it is not only the tallest building in the city, but also in Saxony.
From 1959, a new combined heat and power plant complex was built in several stages in the north of the city. In addition to two cooling towers, this also included several chimneys. The height of the main chimney was intended to reduce the exhaust pollution for the city, which lies in the valley basin, and thus improve the air hygiene conditions. It was put into operation in 1984.
After almost 30 years of service, the concrete shell of the structure showed considerable damage, so the operator - Eins Energie Sachsen - decided to renovate it. However, it was not just a matter of optimising the structural condition: the not particularly attractive functional building was to be transformed into a colourful work of art visible from afar. The French artist Daniel Buren developed the corresponding concept. The structurally predetermined segments of the chimney were designed in seven different, intensely bright colours. From bottom to top, the shaft now appears in the colours aquamarine, strawberry red, yellow-green, sky blue, melon yellow, signal violet and traffic yellow. Part of the design was an ingenious lighting concept, with which the building was to unfold its effect as a landmark and symbol even in the dark. The initial idea was a chain of LED spotlights spiralling upwards. As a result of technical difficulties, a modified lighting design with horizontally arranged lights was used, which have provided an exciting night-time illumination since 2017.