Double measurement

Watchtower

After years and years of controversial supervision of activities on the Danube River, the demands of international traffic and European membership had to be met.
It is also important to mention the visibility along the river: the lock, the hydropower dam, the banks of the Danube, etc. On the one hand, understanding the above conditions/motivates the clarity of the ideas in the theme, but on the other hand, it calls for creativity and compositional boldness for the work "Iron Gates 1 Control and Surveillance Tower".
Here is a possible Warholian mantra of these times, in which thanks to the countless and efficient channels of real-time distribution/accumulation, the words and images recorded up there in the "sky" take on a different potential message. Thus, it all conditioned the clarity of the positioning of the functions for the operators at +34.00 m elevation in the surveillance cabin.
Obviously, seated with their backs to the access area and the technical space, with their eyes on the Danube river and the monitors (technological eyes), the technical staff have a 360-degree perception at all times: everything is being filmed and interpreted by the control computer (wind, temperature, rainfall, sunshine, etc.).
This is a very delicate area of human activity and the people involved are trained in this.
On the other hand, the project had an important symbolic message to convey, not only the visibility and control of the events presented above are important, but also the symbol represented by the project. The design studied for the surveillance eye on the Danube River, also visible from the national highway, was finalized in the form of a "polished diamond", which at night is silhouetted against the sky and blends into the sky like a star. This 'polished diamond', made of glass, is both functional and symbolic, and marks several important events in the course of the river: the lock, the dam and the hydroelectric power station linking the Romanian and Serbian banks.

The Romanian sluice on the right bank of the Danube came into operation in 1972. In 2000, the decision was taken to upgrade it. In 2012, the Romanian lock at Iron Gates I was completely modernized and reopened to navigable traffic. As part of this project, the control tower was also modernized and fully digitalized.

The Danube gorge underwent a drastic metamorphosis in the 1970s with the construction of the hydropower complex. Today's image is no less impressive, but on other coordinates, opened up by human intervention in the landscape. The control tower opposes the horizontal dominance of the dam with a welcome vertical accent, inserted with aplomb in the dramatic confrontation of the three major elements: the river, the mountain and the dam. The new construction takes over the river surveillance function of the tower built 40 years ago.
The interior and exterior space preserves the memory of the shape and amplifies the symbolic value of a 'watch star' permanently active on the Danube firmament.
At the same time, it has a strong contemporary identity, expressed through the dialogue of the materials used and especially through the volumetric treatment - a precious polyhedron of segmented glass arranged in different directions, exposed in a massive concrete mount. The interior of the work consistently follows the same thinking, guided by the particular functionality of the project.
The modernization of the vertical circulation - staircase and elevator, the solution of the access platform, as well as the access to the terrace, the control office, the sanitary group, etc. should be mentioned.
The electrical, heating and sanitary installations were also studied in close connection with the specific activity.
One of the desiderata imposed by the theme was visibility - the quality of perception along the Danube. Accordingly, the configuration and dimensions of the glass facade's load-bearing structure were arranged as rationally as possible.
Against this backdrop of concerns, the functional and spatial breadth of the project takes on a new dimension, manifesting itself in a visually autonomous volume that stands out as a permanent landmark for the site.