Centrale Idrodinamica

Museum Trieste, Italy

The hydrodynamic plant is located inside the Porto Vecchio of Trieste and is recognizable by the 40-metre-high chimney and the two towers, which rise almost 20 metres. The plant went into operation in 1891 after three years of work, designed by the Trieste engineer Luigi Buzzi, with a rectangular plan of 90 x 25 metres. The complex operated continuously until 15 June 1988 when the Port Authority put it into operation for its decommissioning due to the very high maintenance costs and the adoption of more modern technologies for the supply of driving force to the port equipment. The building of the hydrodynamic plant will host the Porto Vecchio museum complex and the Institute of historical culture and port maritime training, representing a very valuable example of conservative restoration that is almost unique in a country like Italy where the evidence of the work is systematically canceled by building speculation.