Reg.Nr. HA-2012/SP/08

Ene Térmica, National Energy Museum, Ponferrada

Ene Térmica in Ponferrada, León is an infrastructure of the National Energy Museum. It is situated in the ensemble of buildings that represents the first coal-fired thermal power station built in Ponferrada by the MSP company at the beginning of the 20th Century. The first ...
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Project details

Title:Ene Térmica, National Energy Museum, Ponferrada
Entr. year: 2012
Result:Award
Country: Spain
Town: Ponferrada
Category type: building conservation
Building type/ Project type: industrial heritage
Former use:Thermal power station (coal-fired)
Actual use:Cultural attraction
Built: 1920-1940s
Architect / Proj.leader: Fundación Ciudada de la Energía – CIUDEN
The Jury's citation: "Electrification was undoubtedly one of the defining characteristics of the 20th century. The creation of a national energy museum in a disused power station at Ponferrada is an extremely valuable contribution to understanding how electricity is produced from coal. The project has achieved this educational ambition by preserving and rehabilitating the power station’s elegant functional buildings and their equipment as they were left in 1971. The Jury particularly appreciated the respect shown for this heritage, allowing for the site to retain its special atmosphere and to offer a broader appreciation of the social and working conditions generated in its environment."
GPS:42°32'58,7" N; 6°36'18,0" W
Web, Links:

[www.ciuden.es/index.php/en/]

[http://enemuseo.org/index.php/en/]

Description:
Ene Térmica in Ponferrada, León is an infrastructure of the National Energy Museum. It is situated in the ensemble of buildings that represents the first coal-fired thermal power station built in Ponferrada by the MSP company at the beginning of the 20th Century. The first building was built in 1920 and soon proved to be too small, so a bigger building was constructed in the 30s and was later enlarged in the 40s. The plant stopped to produce energy in 1971. From the moment on the building was left in a state of abandonment until 2009. The building site started in December 2009 and finished in April 2011. The project restored the space and adapted a tour to explain the process of how the coal was extracted, transported and then transformed into electrical energy. A respectful rehabilitation has achieved to maintain an atmosphere reminiscent of the past that allows visitors to understand in an easy way the process of how the coal was transformed into electricity and to learn about working and living culture formed around this economical activity.