ARCHITECTURE OF HYDRO POWER PLANTS IN POMORZE

Abstract

The history of energetic use of the rivers of Pomerania (Pomorze) is traced from the late Middle Ages. Their potential due to geographical specificity of the region was still attractive in the era of electricity of the19th and the first half of the 20th century. Configuration of the terrain, geological, and natural restrictions, but mainly energetic potential of particular localization were crucial for economical success of the investments of various scale. On one hand we can find examples of micro power plants realized by private investors, often as adaptations of the old mills. On the other hand there were built complex establishments, which demanded involvement of private and public financial sources. Among them we can find spectacular, large scale interventions, which has brought significant change in natural flow of the rivers and surrounding landscape. Pomeranian power plants, in the majority, are still in use. In many cases they are kept in original state, also with all technical arrangement like turbines, generators and other equipment which are still working, as they were in the beginning of the 20th century. This is a kind of a “live museum”, which illustrates the process of development of technology, and the history of energy production. Pomeranian power plants were a kind of a test field of diverse solutions accustomed to the diversity of local geographical conditions. They were realized not only in the time of dynamic development of technology, but also during the time of dynamic architectural changes. Sometimes a few years time gap within the realization of particular object is strongly visible not only in the architectural style, but also in the architectural form dependent on quickly changing technological solutions. In Pomerania we can find wide illustration of architectural changes caused by the revolution of Modernism. We can also find wide spectrum of investments from small power plants in adopted historical mills to big investments consisting of complex infrastructure spread along the rivers over the distance of dozens of kilometers. The cascades of power plants, weirs, dams and derivation systems show the specific coexistence of the landscape and industrial architecture.