All that remains of the old factory that the company (at that time called Zuid-Nederlandse Spiritus Fabriek) built in Bergen op Zoom, in southern Holland, is the 75m tall chimney, erected in 1938.
The restoration project is the result of the cooperation of two organizations, BOEI and Monumentenfonds Brabant, both committed to conserving monuments of the industrial age for the future, and safeguarding the town's rich historical heritage.
The construction recently underwent preservation and restoration work, during which structural weakening was found at the summit.
The 15m top section was therefore dismantled and replaced with a metal structure with the same dimensions, which restored the chimney to its original height of 75m, making it one of the tallest chimneys in the whole of Holland.
On 8 December 2011, the specially made metal structure was positioned atop the chimney, using a 100m high crane.
Full AVL was responsible for the installation of the lighting system, made up of a network of custom FOS 33 LED bars from DTS Lighting (each with eight blue and eight cold white LEDs), mounted on the lower circle of the cylinder.
The LEDs mounted in the bar were chosen to obtain a lavender blue colour identical to that of the ethyl alcohol previously produced in the old factory, and the flame of the burning alcohol.
(Jim Evans)
