This summer, the 80 metre high chimney tower of the Heidelberg municipal utility company’s heating plant will become the canvas for Germany’s tallest piece of urban art. The design of the 1,500 square metre tower surface will begin at the beginning of July, in collaboration with the city of Heidelberg, the Heidelberg public utility company and the Metropolink Festival for Urban Art.
A landmark in transition
The “Metropolink-Stadtwerke-Turm” is being built as part of the Mittendrinnenstadt project. This project aims to improve the quality of life and cultural offerings in Heidelberg’s city centre from the old town to the main railway station, funded by the federal programme “Sustainable inner cities and centres”.
A pencil as a symbol
The motif chosen for the tower is a pencil, which stands for education, science, art and culture and thus symbolises Heidelberg’s identity. “The pencil stands for technical and artistic design as well as a healthy culture of error,” explains Pascal Baumgärtner, director and curator of Metropolink.
Artistic collaboration
International artists such as Case Maclaim, Stohead, Mina Mania and SweetUno are involved in the realisation of the project.
The tower project extends over 1,500 square metres and a height of 80 metres, which requires considerable preparation. Christine Tritsch, project manager at Stadtwerke Heidelberg, explains: “The all-round design of the chimney tower is demanding and complex. The artists are working at great heights, where wind and heat pose additional challenges. We have therefore taken extensive safety measures to ensure their safety.”
Metropolink X – An anniversary of urban art
The tower project is the highlight of the 10th Metropolink Festival, which takes place from 25 July to 3 August in Patrick Henry Village and throughout the city of Heidelberg. Other highlights of the festival include the visual art show on the submarine at the Old Bridge on 6 July and a book project in the latter part of the year.
This urban art project has the potential to create a new landmark for Heidelberg and make the city even more attractive and diverse.
Artists:
instagram.com/case_maclaim
instagram.com/stohead
instagram.com/theminamania
instagram.com/sweetunograffiti
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