Müllverbrennungsanlage Spittelau, Vienna

Spittelau is a waste-incineration plant whose striking facade turns an industrial building into a work of art. Friedensreich Hundertwasser redesigned the exterior after a major fire, with the work completed by 1992; architect Peter Pelikan planned it with Alexander Marchart, Roland Moebius and Waagner-Biro. The plant began operating in 1971 and belongs to Wien Energie’s group of thermal waste-treatment facilities.

Its installed capacity is 460 MW, making it Vienna’s second-largest district-heating producer. The small tower carries a large replica of Hundertwasser’s cap. The story behind it comes from a frustrated remark during discussions with the developers: he announced that he would put his hat on it and give up.

The developers liked the idea, and the hat became part of the building. The plant supplies heat through Vienna’s district-heating network, including heat for more than 60,000 households.