The most beautiful chimney twin is located in Eindhoven.

EINDHOVEN - Everything you wanted to know about factory chimneys but never thought to ask about: it is all extensively covered in the book 'Factory Chimneys in the Netherlands' by Arjan Barnard. The book will be presented on Friday, near the smoke of two Eindhoven chimneys.

Seventy-seven meters high, the twin chimneys on Strijp T in Eindhoven. They date back to 1948 and 1953 and were built by the company Canoy-Herfkens. They are the most impressive twin chimneys still standing in the Netherlands, says Arjen Barnard. And he should know. Barnard is the chairman of STIF: the Foundation of Factory Chimneys in the Netherlands and the author of the book 'Factory Chimneys in the Netherlands'.

FascinatieBarnard became fascinated by the phenomenon of factory chimneys in the mid-1980s, when one was demolished in his hometown of Hardenberg. An inscription on a stone left behind after the demolition of that chimney led him to search for the builder: the company De Ridder.

That company, together with the firm Canoy-Herfkens, turned out to be responsible for the construction of around 5,000 factory chimneys in the Netherlands, almost half of the total 11,000 factory chimneys built in this country over the past centuries. And that discovery grew into a search for the data of all Dutch factory chimneys that were still standing and later also for all disappeared chimneys - the majority.

The result of that exhaustive research is now captured in an equally exhaustive, 462-page thick book with around 800 images, which was also contributed to by the Helmond city historian and authority in the field of industrial heritage, Giel van Hooff.

Everything imaginable about the subject in the title is covered: how to build a chimney, which techniques are used to remove smoke and/or steam. What different shapes exist, which materials were used, and what different types of decorations are common. Barnard also discusses ways to demolish a disused chimney and sheds light on the history of the chimney builders. Including the names of those who lost their lives during the construction of such a tower, where and in which year it happened.

Chimneys In addition, the book contains a very extensive overview of thousands of chimneys that have ever existed in the Netherlands. A random example? The still existing chimney of restaurant De Steenoven in Helmond, a former brick factory, was built between 1911 and 1916 by the company Canoy-Herfkens and is 35 meters high.

Of course, Eindhoven is also extensively covered: the history of factory chimneys is closely intertwined with that of industrialization. Eindhoven even holds a special place, according to Barnard. "The oldest existing chimney in Eindhoven is that of the first Philips factory from 1869, followed shortly by that of the Van Zeeland brewery from 1884 on Kanaaldijk Zuid, near Havenstraat," he explains.

A very special one is the relatively young chimney of the Campina factory from 1958 between Dirk Bootslaan and Kanaaldijk Zuid. "That is the only yellow chimney in the Netherlands in which blue letters are embedded. Other colors were more common, and yellow chimneys are much rarer than red ones."

Eindhoven is the only city in the Netherlands that still has four tall, brick chimneys over 50 meters high. "It is also the city with the largest/tallest brick twin towers ever built in the Netherlands, located at Strijp T, and these towers are still standing. A beautiful example of tower reuse is the chimney of the Ventoseflat, which was rebuilt years ago on the base from 1875. And let's not forget the tower/chimney at the station."

Here, not only the expert but also the enthusiast speaks. Where does this fascination come from? They are, or in many cases were, landmarks, defining the cityscape, important for the collective memory. Just look at the Eindhoven twins.

The book can be ordered through the website of STIF.

source