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Eye Powered: 12 Artistic German Transformer Stations

Steve — Sun, 29 Apr 2018 17:00:32 +0000

[ By Steve in Architecture & Public & Institutional. ]

These visually stunning German transformer stations display artistic paint jobs that beautify their surroundings while discouraging graffiti artists.

“Transformatorenstation” is German for “transformer stations”, formerly known as “substations” before the advent of large electric power plants altered their prime function to be power distribution stations. These box-like structures are nowadays mainly prefabricated with little or no decorative aspects.

While this practice is cheaper, the stations are extremely alluring to graffiti artists due to their being “blank canvases” in public view. Thus, locally sponsored initiatives that enlist artists to paint the stations save money in the long run, as less funds need to be expended on graffiti removal. This “trafostation” (to use the German short form) celebrates the long maritime tradition in the Baltic Sea port city of Rostock, as captured by Flickr members Patrick in July of 2014 and Victor Valore (PowerSubShot) in February of 2018.

Seat of Power

These transformer stations are located in Wismar, another historic Hanseatic League town located on the Baltic Sea coast west of Rostock. Wismar-based artist Christian Pursch of TEML-Designs painted these two stations, the first of which appears to portray the benefits of electrification to homeowners. Flickr member Patrick snapped these Wismar trafostations in early 2014.

Mammoth Undertaking

Flickr member abudulla.saheem photographed this rather large transformer station in Köln (Cologne), an historic city in southeastern Germany famed for its iconic twin-spired cathedral. Note the graffiti tag on the concrete support span above the station – the anonymous “artist” went out of their way to tag above the artwork. Maybe the city should pay to have ALL of its infrastructure arted up.

Where the Really Wild Things Are

Public art usually doesn’t raise the hackles… this example, however, will raise the hairs on the back of your neck! How the artist got this concept past the organizing committee we’ll never know, but here it is, freaking people out daily in a shady corner of Rostock. Flickr member Zarner01 captured this suburban horror show in February of 2016.

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Eye Powered 12 Artistic German Transformer Stations

[ By Steve in Architecture & Public & Institutional. ]

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Wet Look: 12 (More) Cool Creative Water Tanks & Towers

Steve — Sun, 25 Sep 2016 17:00:58 +0000

[ By Steve in Art. ]

Due to their sizes and shapes, water tanks and towers lend themselves to artistic embellishment as these dozen creative examples refreshingly illustrate.

A waterpark? In the middle of MY Mojave Desert? It’s more likely than you think… or at least it was, before the Lake Dolores Waterpark (later the Rock-A-Hoola Waterpark and then the Discovery Waterpark) circled the drain for the final time in 2004. The water used to “power” the park(s) came from underground springs fed by the Mojave Aquifer and was stored in an enormous water tower shaped like – and painted to resemble – a Coca-Cola can.

While much of the park has been vandalized and scavenged for metal, the water tank can blame its current tattered & faded state on the Mojave’s blistering desert sun. Kudos to Flickr user Hans Proppe (shadowplay) and Imgur user loganbush for snapping the eerie and evocative images above.

Leggo My Necco

The circa-1927 New England Confectionery Company (NECCO, for short) building in Cambridge, MA is now occupied by offices of Swiss-based pharmaceutical firm Novartis, who graciously repainted the iconic Necco-wafer water tower in 1997. Flickr user Jill Robidoux (jylcat) snapped the tank on January 1st of 2003 and it’s a good thing she did: Novartis de-necco’d the tank in 2004 by painting it over in a boring-by-comparison pharma theme.

Behind The 8-Ball

The giant 8-ball water tower in Tipton, Missouri came and went like a Fast Eddie Felson pool shot in the dark… and then it came back again, this time to stay. According to the Jefferson City News Tribune, in 1968 the water tower was creatively dressed in a billiard-ball theme by its owners, the Fischer Pool Table company. The water tower was ceded to the city and painted all-white after Fischer closed in 1977 but Tiptonians wanted their landmark back so in 1999, the tower was restored to its previous 8-ball livery. Minnesota Fats is likely looking down and smiling.

Cone Job

The only paint on the Grand Central Water Tower in Johannesburg, South Africa, is the aqua blue corporate corporate logo near the top… anything else would be superfluous. The curious conical tower was built in 1997 and stands 40m (131.2 ft) tall, assuming it hasn’t already tipped over.

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Wet Look 12 More Cool Creative Water Tanks Towers

[ By Steve in Art. ]

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