Gasometer Oberhausen

Last updated
NRW, Oberhausen, Gasometer 02.jpg
Oberhausen Gasometer
Gasometer Oberhausen
General information
Location Oberhausen, Germany
Construction started27 February 1927
Completed1929
Inaugurated15 May 1929
Cost1.74 million Reichsmarks
Owner Ruhrkohle AG (1927–1992)
City of Oberhausen (after 1992)
Height117.5 m (385 ft)
Dimensions
Diameter67.6 m (222 ft)
Technical details
Floor area7,000 m2 (75,000 sq ft)
Design and construction
Main contractor Gutehoffnungshütte (1927-1929)
Deutsche Babcock AG (1993–1994)
Website
http://www.gasometer.de

The Gasometer Oberhausen is a former gas holder in Oberhausen, Germany, which has been converted into an exhibition space. It has hosted several large scale exhibitions, including two by Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The Gasometer is an industrial landmark, and an anchor point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage and the Industrial Heritage Trail. It was built in the 1920s, and reconstructed after World War II.

Contents

History

In the 1920s the coal and steel industry in the Ruhrgebiet produced blast furnace gas and coal gas as a by-product of iron production and coking, while the steel industry as well as coking used large amounts of these gasses or alternative fuels. As supply and demand of gas varied independently, sometimes excess gas had to be flared off, while at other times additional fuel had to be purchased. The Gasometer was built as a buffer: storing excess gas and releasing it again when demand exceeded production. [1]

The Gasometer was built by Gutehoffnungshütte, by the side of the Rhine-Herne Canal. Construction started 27 February 1927 and cost 1.74 million Reichsmark. A framework of 24 steel girders was built on a concrete base, and a skin of 5mm thick sheet metal was riveted to the framework. Inside, a 1,207,000 kg pressure disc was mounted which could freely move up and down, floating on top of the gas underneath and keeping it at a constant pressure. 15 May 1929 the Gasometer was first put into operation, with a maximum capacity of 347,000m³, a height of 117.5m and diameter of 67.6m. [1]

During World War II, the Gasometer was hit by bombs several times, but kept operating. [2] When it was shelled by allied forces it did not explode, but the gas burned up and the pressure disc slowly descended. The Gasometer officially stopped operating 31 December 1944. It was completely disassembled after it had caught fire during repair work on 10 June 1946. Reconstruction began 1949 using the original pressure disc and roof. By 1 June 1950 the Gasometer was operational again. [1]

In 1977 the Gasometer was repainted, at a cost of 3.5 million DM. In later years many coking plants and iron works closed, reducing supply as well as demand for the gas stored in the Gasometer. In addition, natural gas became cheaper. The Gasometer became superfluous and in 1988 it was decommissioned by its owner, Ruhrkohle AG. [1]

A discussion ensued about the dismantling or possible reuse of the Gasometer. In 1992 the city council of Oberhausen, with a margin of 1 vote decided to acquire the building and convert it to an exhibition space. At the time, plans were being developed for building shopping mall (CentrO) on an adjacent plot, and Internationale Bauausstellung Emscher Park planned to use the Gasometer for its exhibition. Ownership transferred to the city of Oberhausen, with Ruhrkohle AG paying 1.8 million DM in saved demolition costs to the city. [1]

Conversion and restoration were done by Deutsche Babcock AG in from 1993 to 1994. The former pressure disc was fixed at a 4.5 m height, with a 3000 m2 exhibition space on the ground floor below. The main exhibition space, on top of the pressure disc, was fitted with a stage and seating for 500 people. Lifts and stairs were fitted to provide visitors access to the roof. [3] Conversion cost approximately DM 16 million. [1]

Exhibitions

Fire & Flame (1994–1995)

The exhibition "Fire and Flame" documented the history of the coal and iron industry in the Ruhr area and its influence on society. It attracted about 460,000 visitors. [4]

I Phoenix (1996)

"I Phoenix" was an exhibition of contemporary art. It attracted 96,000 visitors. [4]

The Dream of Vision (1997)

The exhibition "The Dream of Vision" dealt with the history of television. [4]

Christo: The Wall (1999)

"The Wall" was organised as part of the IBA Emscher Park, at a cost of nearly 4 million DM. [5] It was an installation by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, consisting of a stack of 13,000 oil drums in 7 colours, 68m wide, 26m high, and 7m deep, and weighed 234,000 kg. It attracted 390,000 visitors. [4]

The Ball is Round (2000)

This exhibition was organised for the centenary of the German Football Association in 2000, and documented the history of football. It had 216,000 visitors. [4]

Blue Gold (2001-2002)

"Blue Gold" dealt with the subject of water. It included 833,000 kg of sand. An installation by Paul Schütze included a 50m high cone of water in an artificial lake, and video projections. [4]

Bill Viola: Five Angels for the Millennium (2003)

This was a video installation by Bill Viola. It had 140,000 visitors. [4]

Wind of Hope (2004)

Breitling Orbiter 3 on display inside the Gasometer (2004) Breitling Orbiter 3.jpg
Breitling Orbiter 3 on display inside the Gasometer (2004)

This exhibition dealt with Brian Jones and Bertrand Piccard's 1999 round–the–world balloon flight, and it displayed their 55 metres (180 ft) high Breitling Orbiter 3 balloon inside the Gasometer. [4]

Fire Light Sky (2006)

Light Sky by Christina Kubisch Light Sky.jpg
Light Sky by Christina Kubisch

"Fire Light Sky" was an installation of sound and light by Christina Kubisch, combined with an exhibition about the history of the Gasometer. [4]

The Eye in the Sky (2007-2008)

This exhibition was a cooperation with DLR. It showed large satellite images of the earth and various objects to do with space exploration. It had 375,000 visitors. [4]

Out of this World – Wonders of the Solar System (2009–2010)

25m model of the Moon in "Out of this World" Biggest Moon on Earth small.jpg
25m model of the Moon in "Out of this World"

This exhibition about space and the solar system was organised to mark the International Year of Astronomy. It was a project of Ruhr.2010 and ran from 2 April 2009 till 30 December 2010. Part of the show was a model of the Moon, 25m in diameter. 950,000 people visited the exhibition. [4]

Magic Places (2011–2012)

This was an exhibition about natural and cultural monuments of the world. It had 800,000 visitors. [4]

Christo: Big Air Package (2013)

"Big Air Package" (16 March 2013 – 30 December 2013) was one of the last three projects started by Christo with Jeanne-Claude, before Jeanne-Claude's death in 2009. [6] It consisted of an envelope made of 20,350 m2 of semitransparent fabric and 4,500m of rope, weighing 5,300 kg. Inflated to a volume of 177,000m³, it was 90m high, 50m wide and was pressurised at 27 pascal over atmospheric pressure by two fans. Visitors could enter the installation through airlocks, and walk around inside the Gasometer. [7]

The Appearance of Beauty (2014–2015)

This exhibition showed the variety of beauty in art with almost 200 works as plaster casts or large-format photo prints from the Venus de Milo to McCurry's Afghan Girl. It had 480,000 visitors. [4]

Wonders of Nature (2016-2017)

Large-format photographs and film clips showed the creative forces of life. In the center, a model of the earth (20 meters in diameter, approx. 65 feet) seemingly floated within the Gasometer, with moving satellite images projected on them showing the changes between day and night and the seasons. [8] With over 1.3 million people, it was the most-visited exhibition in the Gasometer to date.

The Call of the Mountains (2018-2019)

The exhibition was designed in co-operation with the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt and focused on mountain, their creation, exploration, flora and fauna. In 100 meters (330 feet) height, a 17 meter (55 feet) model of the Matterhorn was suspended from the ceiling, upside down. It was used as a projection screen to show the mountain during various times of the day, also superimposing climbing routes. Underneath the model was a large-scale mirror. [9]

The Fragile Paradise (2021-2023)

The exhibition showed the beauty of nature and the influence of humans on their environment. “The Fragile Paradise” took visitors on a journey through the climate history of our earth and showed in award-winning photographs and videos how the flora and fauna changed during the Anthropocene. [10]

Planet Ocean (2024)

Starting in mid-March 2024, this show takes visitors to the mostly unknown world of the oceans. The highlight is likely to be the huge installation “The Wave” on a screen that rises 40 meters into the air. It shows scenes of the underwater world and was created by the people behind the art and technology festival Ars Electronica from Linz, Austria.

Here you can - without a diving suit or breathing mask - encounter huge schools of fish or even real-size sea giants. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centre Pompidou</span> Art museum in Paris, France

The Centre Pompidou, more fully the Centre national d'art et de culture Georges-Pompidou, also known as the Pompidou Centre in English, is a complex building in the Beaubourg area of the 4th arrondissement of Paris, near Les Halles, rue Montorgueil, and the Marais. It was designed in the style of high-tech architecture by the architectural team of Richard Rogers, Su Rogers, Renzo Piano, along with Gianfranco Franchini.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gas holder</span> Large container for storing gaseous fuel

A gas holder or gasholder, also known as a gasometer, is a large container in which natural gas or town gas is stored near atmospheric pressure at ambient temperatures. The volume of the container follows the quantity of stored gas, with pressure coming from the weight of a movable cap. Typical volumes for large gas holders are about 50,000 cubic metres (1,800,000 cu ft), with 60-metre-diameter (200 ft) structures.

<i>The Gates</i> Art installation by Christo and Jeanne-Claude

The Gates were a group of gates comprising a site-specific work of art by Bulgarian artist Christo Yavacheff and French artist Jeanne-Claude, known jointly as Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The artists installed 7,503 vinyl "gates" along 23 miles (37 km) of pathways in Central Park in New York City. From each gate hung a panel of deep saffron-colored nylon fabric. The exhibit ran from February 12 through February 27, 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christo and Jeanne-Claude</span> Husband-and-wife environmental installation artist duo

Christo Vladimirov Javacheff (1935–2020) and Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon (1935–2009), known as Christo and Jeanne-Claude, were artists noted for their large-scale, site-specific environmental installations, often large landmarks and landscape elements wrapped in fabric, including the Wrapped Reichstag, The Pont Neuf Wrapped, Running Fence in California, and The Gates in New York City's Central Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harald Szeemann</span> Swiss artist, curator and art historian (1933–2005)

Harald Szeemann was a Swiss curator, artist, and art historian. Having curated more than 200 exhibitions, many of which have been characterized as groundbreaking, Szeemann is said to have helped redefine the role of an art curator. It is believed that Szeemann elevated curating to a legitimate art form itself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gasworks</span>

A gasworks or gas house is an industrial plant for the production of flammable gas. Many of these have been made redundant in the developed world by the use of natural gas, though they are still used for storage space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex</span> Large former industrial site in the city of Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

The Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex is a large former industrial site in the city of Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The first coal mine on the premises was founded in 1847, and mining activities took place from 1851 until December 23, 1986. For decades, starting in the late 1950s, the two parts of the site, Zollverein Coal Mine and Zollverein Coking Plant, ranked among the largest of their kinds in Europe. Shaft 12, built in the New Objectivity style, was opened in 1932 and is considered an architectural and technical masterpiece, earning it a reputation as the "most beautiful coal mine in the world".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beyeler Foundation</span> Art museum in Riehen, Switzerland

The Beyeler Foundation or Fondation Beyeler, with its museum in Riehen, near Basel (Switzerland), owns and oversees the art collection of Hildy and Ernst Beyeler, which features modern and traditional art. The Beyeler Foundation museum includes a space for special exhibitions staged to complement the permanent collection. In 2006, approximately 340,000 persons visited the museum. The number of visitors in 2016 was 332,000. The Beyeler Foundation is the most visited museum of art in all of Switzerland. The museum is properly funded, and it receives annual grants from the cantons of Basel City and Basel County and the commune of Riehen. Major partners of the Foundation are Bayer AG, Novartis and Swiss bank UBS.

<i>Running Fence</i> 1976 art installation by Christo and Jeanne-Claude

Running Fence was an installation art piece by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, which was completed on September 10, 1976. The art installation was first conceived in 1972, but the actual project took more than four years to plan and build. After it was installed, the builders removed it 14 days later, leaving no visible trace behind.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zeche Carl</span>

Zeche Carl is a cultural centre set up by Essen Council in a former coal mine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Ruhr</span>

The actual boundaries of the Ruhr vary slightly depending on the source, but a good working definition is to define the Lippe and Ruhr as its northern and southern boundaries respectively, the Rhine as its western boundary, and the town of Hamm as the eastern limit.

Kaldor Public Art Projects is an Australian non-profit arts organisation established in 1969 by John Kaldor. The organisation collaborates with international artists to create site-specific art projects in public spaces in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Launceston Gasworks</span>

The Launceston Gasworks is a former industrial site located in the CBD of Launceston, Tasmania. The site was the principal supplier of gas to the City of Launceston before the importation of LPG in the 1970s. The gasworks produced gas by heating coal and siphoning off the gas that it released before refining and storing it on site in a set of 3, steel frame gasometers. The first buildings on site were the horizontal retort buildings built in 1860 from sandstone and local brick. The site was later used by Origin Energy as their Launceston LPG outlet. The site is instantly recognizable by its 1930s, steel braced, vertical retort building with the words "COOK WITH GAS" in the brickwork.

Katja Aßmann is a German curator and arts administrator. She is currently the artistic director of Urbane Künste Ruhr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emschergenossenschaft</span>

The Emschergenossenschaft is the oldest and biggest public German water board, („Wasserwirtschaftsverband”) located in Essen and responsible for the 865 km2 Emscher catchment with 2.2 million citizens. In Europe‘s largest urban area, between Dortmund and Duisburg as well as in the northern perimeter of the Lippe region, The Emschergenossenschaft offers modern, cost-effective water management that covers a broad range of responsibilities as sewage treatment, care and maintenance of waterways, natural remodelling of open waste water canals, flood protection, regulation of water flow and management of groundwater and rainwater

The Internationale Bauausstellung Emscher Park or International Architecture Exhibition Emscher Park was a programme for structural changes in the so-called German Ruhr region from 1989 to 1999 in order to show new concepts in terms of social, cultural and ecologic ideas.

<i>The Floating Piers</i>

The Floating Piers was a temporary, site-specific work of art by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, consisting of 70,000 square meters of yellow fabric, carried by a modular floating dock system of 226,000 high-density polyethylene cubes installed in 2016 at Lake Iseo near Brescia, Italy. The fabric created a walkable surface between Sulzano, Monte Isola and the island of San Paolo.

L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, known as "L'Arc de Triomphe Empaqueté" in French, was a temporary art installation by artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude where the Arc de Triomphe in Paris was wrapped in a silver-blue fabric and red rope for two weeks in 2021.

The Pont Neuf Wrapped, Paris, 1975–1985 was a 1985 environmental artwork in which artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude wrapped the Pont Neuf in fabric. Planning for the project started in 1979. The artists put a model of the project in the window of La Samaritaine, a department store close to the bridge, in late 1981. Paris Mayor Jacques Chirac rejected the project in early 1982. An aide to the mayor snuck the permit approval into a pile of the mayor's papers, which he signed inadvertently in August 1984. When the mayor attempted to repeal the approval, Jeanne-Claude said she would show the press the letter as a symbol of his signature's worth, after which he dropped his case. In September 1985, the artists wrapped the bridge and its 44 streetlamps in a sandstone-colored fabric. The two-week installation attracted three million visitors. Artsy described the response as "sensational".

Surrounded Islands, Biscayne Bay, Greater Miami, Florida, 1980–83 was a 1983 environmental artwork in which artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude surrounded an island archipelago in Miami with pink fabric.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Industriedenkmäler – Gasometer".
  2. "History – Gasometer Oberhausen".
  3. "Change – Gasometer Oberhausen".
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Past Exhibitions - Gasometer Oberhausen".
  5. "Aufbau West im Pott". Der Spiegel. 19 April 1999.
  6. Frank, Arno (2013-03-14). "Transcendental Space - Christo's Colossal Project in Germany". Der Spiegel . Retrieved 2021-11-26.
  7. "Christo and Jeanne-Claude – Big Air Package".
  8. "Wonders of Nature, Gasometer website".
  9. "The Call of the Mountains, Gasometer website".
  10. "The Fragile Paradise, Gasometer website".
  11. "Planet Ocean, Gasometer website".

51°29′39″N6°52′14″E / 51.49417°N 6.87056°E / 51.49417; 6.87056