Features of the architecture of nuclear power plants

Abstract

The article analyses the peculiarities of the specific industrial landscape of nuclear power plants on the basis of domestic and foreign experience and highlights the importance of adapting these industrial complexes with a heavy technological regime to modern architectural post-industrial requirements. The architecture of nuclear power plants (hereinafter referred to as NPPs) is often a subject of debate. Some people believe that NPPs are a symbol of technological progress and should be presented as monumental structures. Others believe that NPPs are potentially dangerous facilities and should be built in a more modest style. Most industrial facilities, such as NPPs, were built in the industrial era and do not meet the requirements of the post-industrial era in terms of environmental friendliness, adaptability and architectural coherence. This is due to the duration of their construction and the environment in which they are located. Therefore, they need to be modernised. Analysing the architectural features of nuclear power plants, the author has determined that, regardless of the architectural style, NPPs usually have several common features, namely: large, monumental buildings that emphasise their importance, features that reflect their technological nature, such as cooling towers and reactor units. Due to the regional location, NPPs have their own peculiarities in composition and architectural decoration, which can not only modernise the appearance, but also depict elements of national identification. Due to their location on the ground, in a certain established natural environment, NPPs require a large amount of water resources due to the peculiarities of the heavy technological regime (reactor type) that takes place at the enterprise, so they are located on the ground near water bodies and reservoirs, and sometimes absorb entire rivers and lakes for the needs of technological processes. The mountainous terrain factor is equally important. It affects the architectural landscape of NPPs and their authenticity. Equally important is the period in which the plant was designed and built, as nuclear power is an important economic and political component of the country where it is produced. In terms of form, space and volume solutions, typology, and architectural and planning principles, it is possible to draw an analogy with the stage of development of a state.