Skive, Denmark | CHP Station | CF Møller

[Dreamer]

Skive CHP Station

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words by Ana Vukadin

Sixty-eight tons of copper wrap around the Combined Heat and Power (CHP) station in the coastal town of Skive, Denmark, designed by architects CF Møller.

The Danish practice won a competition to redevelop and expand the 30-year-old CHP station, and its Aalborg office was in charge of the project. “We won because we were probably the most sensitive to the surroundings,” says Søren Tortzen, head architect of CF Møller Aalborg. “Skive is a large residential town set in an entirely flat landscape and it was important to us that the station be something that was aesthetically appealing to the residents.”

The huge structure, which covers 7,500sq m and whose two corten-steel chimneys measure over 31m, has a simplicity and beauty, tastefully announcing the presence of a power station. “We wanted it to be evident that there was a CHP station, but at the same time make it a beautiful site,” says Tortzen. “We selected copper as the prime material because it changes colour over time, and becomes warmer and richer.” The station follows a simple rectangular plan with varying heights based on the prefabricated copper panels.

The station is the first in the world to use a new biomass technology in the production of heat and electricity, and houses the largest biomass “gasifier” of its kind. The gasification tower has been adapted for visitors, who will be able to walk around the machine and on the galleries jutting at different levels. It is the central focus of the structure because it also has a view onto the fjords of Jutland. “We have emphasised the gasification tower by inserting the large ‘eye’ overlooking the fjord,” says Tortzen. Here, the facade is entirely of glass so that visitors can enjoy the views from inside the station.

images by Ole Hein Pedersen

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Link:
http://www.iconeye.com/articles/20080124