Hydroelectric power plant, Töging am Inn, Germany

In Töging am Inn, an almost 100-year-old listed power plant has been replaced by a new building. The challenges: The new hydroelectric power plant – and with it all the large-scale technology – had to be integrated carefully into the landscape without competing with the historic neighboring building.

The design by the architectural firm Robert Maier Architekten has a correspondingly reduced and modest air. “We decided to cut open the meadow with a knife, so to speak, and push the structure underneath,” is how Maier describes the procedure. “Our aim was for the two buildings to enhance each other rather than compete. And for the new building to blend harmoniously into the surroundings with a minimalist design language.”

The result is a structure that is only visible through two plain slits in the seemingly untouched slope of the dam. Due to the technical requirements of the hydropower plant and the necessary resistance, a solid concrete wall was chosen for both the inlet and outlet areas. For this, Maier decided to use our 2/701 Liberty structural matrix from the RECKLI SELECT series: “By using a matrix that has a slightly irregular structure, we wanted to create a reference to the waves and the water surface of the Inn. At the same time, the pattern is also reminiscent of the raking systems in the inlet, which prevent floating debris from getting into the turbines.” In addition, not only decorative but also technical aspects had to be taken into account for the facade. In the event that flotsam is thrown out of the inlet area, the structure must be strong enough to withstand it.

Maier has the following to say about the cooperation with RECKLI: “What helped us a lot in the planning were the 1:1 scale samples we got from RECKLI. This gave us a good feel for the material, the proportions and also the resistance.”

The new hydropower plant is also a true asset: following its completion in 2022, 700 million kilowatt hours of natural electricity can now be generated, supplying a good 200,000 households.