Louise Kister

Hydropowerstation Chlus

Situation . The new hydropowerstation Chlus completes the row of hydropowerstations of the Davos Valley. The water is led through a underground pipeline to the cliff at the Chlus. Withdrawn from this impressing canyon, the building is secludedly sitting on the border of the trees and is keeping its distance to the busy main street. Gently surrounded by the forest, it is located in the transition between the mountain and the plane. Nearby one of the national hiking trails is passing different landmarks, like ruins and rundown air-raid shelters. Within this sequence the hydropowerstation becomes one of these landscape objects, held between the countryroad on the valleyside and the hiking trail along the border of the trees.

Building . The process of generating electricity from hydroenergy is pulling up a certain volume. This total volume is composed by „solids“ and „hollows“, that means closed and open spaces, which protect the engine. A huge space is created by various technical parameters, even though it is lying in the center of the building, it is interfused by the outer climate. To people passing by the building appeares like an introverted sculptural landscape object, that does not become blurred with the surrounding nature because of its red coloured concrete. Holes in the facade are reduced to a minimum. The unique shape of the roof is due to inner, volumetric parameters and the result of a controlled water runoff. The pure, rough concrete underlines the industrial character of the building and is strong enough to keep it in place against the massive hydropower.
On a rather poetic level a resemblance of water beeing able to create space by substracting material is created by showing the water in the core. The water seems to cut into the massive volume over the years.

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