Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Wunderland Kalkar


By Hessa AlHabshi
Photo credits to wunderlandkalkar.eu

When I think about what should replace a nuclear power station, I immediately think about an amusement park because why not? That sounds completely safe. Who doesn't want to take their loved ones there?

The formally known “Schneller Bruter”, which was a venture between Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. It cost more than five billion US dollars to create… Thank god all this money wasting didn't affect the economy in Europe (click here). After all that money was wasted, the power station was never used following the German government’s decision to abandon all nuclear energy plants.

This site, which is 136 acres, was sold to a Dutch investor who didn't bring down the reactor, but built a leisure park in place called ‘Wunderland Kalkar’.
The amusement park has a unique design feature:  an enormous cooling tower was embedded with a swing ride, while it's outer walls were converted to a 130 foot tall climbing wall. The rides don’t stop there; the park also includes a ferris wheel, carousels  roller coasters and many other rides. There’s also restaurants, a hotel, a museum, a go-cart track and miniature golf.

Apparently it’s “completely” safe, according to the Daily Mail a spokeswoman of the park said, "People come from all over the world because they are completely fascinated by the park. It's totally unique and that's what draws people in. It's not something you see every day. Some people worry it's unsafe but it is 100 per cent safe. Because the nuclear power station has never been put to use, the whole complex is guaranteed free of radiation."


Even though I’m a bit skeptical over the fact that it went from being a nuclear reactor to an amusement park for families, the park is a prime example of an adaptive reuse project which attracts 600,000 visitors a year. 

Germany is planning to phase out the use of nuclear power by 2022 in favour of renewable energy sources, but what will become of these nuclear plants after they shut down?

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