Landschaftspark - Duisburg Nord, Germany

In the spring of 2012, I wrote a book review for IA: The Journal of the Society for Industrial Archaeology on the edited volume of conference proceedings: Post-Mining Landscape: Conference Documentation. The book is a collection of  reflections on managing, developing, and revitalizing massive industrial landscapes after the gears of industry cease to grind. The book is filled with impressive images of reimagined industrial landscapes - a swimming pool in the middle of former colliery coking plant, a cheese cellar in an underground copper mine, and the development of a greenbelt across slag heaps in Northern France. This truly innovative work resonated with me, and this past month I had the opportunity to visit a handful of sites in the North-Rhine Westphalia region of northern Germany. This post is a collection of photographs from one of the most impressive industrial sites I've visited - The Landschaftspark Duisburg Nord located just outside of Duisburg. While this post presents an overview of the in situ remains of the former iron smelting plant and blast furnaces, a future post will examine the transformation of the site from a post-industrial ruin into a vibrant cultural attraction - successfully melding history, nature, and industry into a model example of industrial reuse.      

The colorful sign at the entrance of the park, draws on the nightly light shows which flood the site with a "sea of light and colour".

The author walking towards the Charge Bunkers

Overview of the site from the Visitor Center. The Blast Furnace is in the center of the image. On normal days you can climb the furnace to a height of 70m, unfortunately the slippery winter conditions we encountered forced the park attendants to close this for the day.

The Power Station. I really like the construction photos that line the top of the building - showing the development of many of the industrial facilities found in the Ruhr Valley.

Looking up at the Blast Furnace

Blast Furnace #5.

A narrow corridor

The author next to the Blast Furnace

Another side of the Blast Furnace.

Blast Furnace

Blast Furnace

A walkway through the casting plant

Overview of the Sedimentation tanks and Cooling Plant

The ventilation system at the end of the Charge Bunkers

Overview of the park.

Overview of the site looking towards the Sintering Plant.

The gardens in the sintering plant

Landscaping within a former room of the Sintering Plant - there are an amazing number of impressive touches like this throughout the park.

The greening of the site.

Two buildings near the Blowing House.

The Landschaftspark Duisburg Nord was relatively easy to get to from the Duisburg Central Station - in fact the trams running from the station stop just outside the park. When inside there is a well equipped restaurant in the visitor center. You can easily spend upwards of 8 hours here exploring. 

Thanks for looking - and if you are interested in one of the larger file photos, just shoot me an email.