History
During the 1920s, the coal and steel industry in the Ruhrgebiet generated blast furnace gas and coal gas as by-products of iron production and coking. These gases were used extensively by steelworks and coking plants, though fluctuations in supply and demand often led to inefficiencies: excess gas was occasionally flared off, while shortages required purchasing alternative fuels. To address this, the Gasometer Oberhausen was constructed as a buffer storage facility, enabling surplus gas to be stored and released when demand exceeded production. [1]
Construction and early operation
Built by the industrial conglomerate Gutehoffnungshütte adjacent to the Rhine-Herne Canal, construction commenced on 27 February 1927 at a cost of 1.74 million Reichsmark. The structure consisted of a concrete foundation supporting a framework of 24 steel girders, clad with riveted 5 mm thick sheet metal. A movable pressure disc—weighing 1,207,000 kg—was installed inside, floating atop the stored gas to maintain constant pressure. The Gasometer entered service on 15 May 1929, with a storage capacity of 347,000m³, a height of 117.5 m, and a diameter of 67.6 m. [1]
World War II and reconstruction
The Gasometer sustained repeated bomb damage during World War II but remained operational. [2] During an Allied artillery bombardment, the stored gas ignited without causing an explosion, allowing the pressure disc to descend gradually as the gas burned. Operations officially ceased on 31 December 1944. A fire during repairs on 10 June 1946 led to its complete disassembly, though reconstruction began in 1949 using the original pressure disc and roof. The Gasometer resumed operations by 1 June 1950. [1]
Decommissioning and adaptive reuse
In 1977, the Gasometer underwent refurbishment at a cost of 3.5 million Deutsche Mark. By the late 1980s, declining demand for stored gas—due to the closure of coking plants and competition from cheaper natural gas—rendered the facility obsolete. Owned by Ruhrkohle AG, it was decommissioned in 1988. [1]
Debates over its demolition or repurposing culminated in a 1992 Oberhausen City Council vote, which narrowly approved its acquisition (by a one-vote margin) for conversion into an exhibition space. This decision aligned with the development of the adjacent CentrO shopping mall and the Internationale Bauausstellung Emscher Park initiative. Ownership transferred to the city, with Ruhrkohle AG contributing 1.8 million Deutsche Mark to offset demolition cost savings. [1]
Conversion to cultural venue
From 1993 to 1994, Deutsche Babcock AG oversaw the Gasometer's conversion. The pressure disc was permanently fixed at a height of 4.5 m, creating a 3000 m2 ground-level exhibition area. A primary exhibition space and 500-seat auditorium were installed atop the disc, while elevators and staircases provided access to a rooftop viewing platform. The renovation cost approximately 16 million Deutsche Mark. [3] [1]
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