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Stadshaard Power Plant<br>Anonymous utility buildings dot our cities, keeping the other buildings humming -- but they're almost never part of the aesthetic fabric of the urban scene. Taking this into account, we were excited to see this unique power plant clad in beautiful Delftware tiles. Designed by Dutch architecture design firm <a href="http://www1.cie.nl/projects/architecture/work/stadshaard,-enschede.aspx">Cie</a> in collaboration with artist <a href="http://www.stencils.nl/_private/News%20Web/index.htm">Hugo Kaagman</a>, this new <a href="http://www.epa.gov/chp/basic/index.html">Combined Cycle Energy</a> plant (CHP) in downtown Roombeek is an extraordinary ode to the past and a celebration of modern infrastructure. The building has been named Stadshaard (which translates to ‘city hearth’), to honor the source of the city’s light and heat.1
Stadshaard Power PlantThe power plant holds two gas turbines that generate on-demand electricity while providing district heating for the community's buildings. This makes the facility two times more efficient than plants that generate energy alone, but this also means that the plant has to be located in the community it serves.2
Stadshaard Power PlantSome motifs harken to the decorative traditions of Delftware pottery. Often used to decorate homes, the cobalt blue tiles feature floral patterns that create a distinctive ornamental effect that has been common for centuries.3
Stadshaard Power PlantTo celebrate the building as the community’s hearth, the designers decided to tile it in iconic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delftware#De_Koninklijke_Porceleyne_Fles">Delftware glazed tiles</a> that commemorate the Netherlands native and communicate the function of the building they clad.4
Images Marc LankhorstThe lower potion of the power station is composed of an eclectic study of popular and everyday scenes that are personal to the artist and for the community.5
Stadshaard Power PlantSome tiles depict buildings throughout the region, including the power station itself.6
Images Marc LankhorstThe striking surface of the plant is a brilliant public art work with a historic and cultural narrative.7
Images Marc LankhorstBlue and white fusing with the Dutch sky.8
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