Transformer Chapels

Before any buildings rose on the sandy plains of Java Island in Amsterdam’s Eastern Harbour, the Municipal Energy Company launched a design competition for transformer and gas stations that would serve the new development.

Huibert Groenendijk approached the task with a symbolic vision. He drew a parallel between churches and power stations. In the past, a church was often the first building to appear when founding a city. In today’s world, the first necessity is a source of energy.

Where once church spires greeted those approaching Amsterdam, now it is the Centrale Hemweg power station that marks the skyline. From there, the “blessing” of modern life -electricity- flows through a network of transformer chapels, quietly serving the city.

Groenendijk’s designs reflect this symbolism. The transformer houses, with their modest yet distinct appearance, evoke both transformers and chapels - linking the sacred spaces of the past with the power stations of today.

The appearance is associated with a transformer and a chapel.