Old steelworks in Duisburg

by Mart Houtman

This old steel factory is beautifully highlighted in the evening and night with various colors of light. This shows this Long Exposure photo that grows a very special atmosphere when you see it.
The Thyssen Ironworks in Duisburg-Meiderich, built in the grandiose style so typical of the time of advanced industrialisation, finally saw production come to an end with the last tapping of Blast Furnace 5 on 4 April 1985. At the same time, this was also the beginning of an unbelievable period of development. Through the contrast between continuous redevelopment and the constant need for preservation, an industrial wasteland has developed into a unique adventure playground for young and old – a development which is ongoing.

The idea for a new type of natural and man-made landscape with an industrial stamp was born in 1989. Based on designs by Professor Peter Latz and Partner, a Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord has been created on the north Duisburg site measuring roughly 180 hectares, which is neither park nor landscape in the traditional sense.