Népsziget ("People's Island") - Budapest, Hungary

Location:

GPS coordinates: Latitude 47°33'31", Longitude 19°4'15" (N47 33.52 - E19 4.25) Map

The reinforced concrete chimney of the "FŐTÁV" (Budapest District Heating Works Private Co. Ltd.) in Óbuda, as well as the industrial heritage towers of the former Óbuda Gasworks

The Óbuda Gasworks (or gas works, in Hungarian "Óbudai Gázgyár") was built up in 3 years and then operated between 1913-1984, its main task was to create town gas or coal gas from the coal (perhaps it is surprising for a non-professional person) that was transported here by rail. Its towers are listed industrial monuments (more precisely these are coal tar towers and water towers), they were renovated in 2013, and since then the conical rooftops are shines again.

The giant chimney on the picture belongs to the Óbuda heating plant in the Kunigunda Street of the Budapest District Heating Works Private Co. Ltd. (in Hungarian "FŐTÁV Zrt." or "Budapesti Távhőszolgáltató Részvénytársaság", formerly "Fővárosi Távfűtő Művek" or "Metropolitan Teleheating Company"). The monolith reinforced concrete (ferro-concrete) chimney was constructed using slip forming technology between 1974-1975. Thanks to its 203 meters (or according to other sources 216 meters) of high it is the tallest building of Budapest city. On the top of the chimney the winds are always very strong, the sway of the tower is at least half a meter even in normal weather conditions. Inside of course there is an elevator, by using it the upmost outer level at 195 meters can be reached in about 5 minutes.