8. Jonathan Speirs and Mark Major

8. Jonathan Speirs and Mark Major, Monochromatic Red and Blue (1999)

Since 1999, the Zollverein Coking Plant has been transformed into a work of art at dusk every night, when the "Monochromatic Red and Blue" light installation bathes parts of the disused facilities in red and blue light.

The 600-metre-long coke oven battery on the so-called "black side" of the Coking Plant shines in red light in the dark. The colour is reminiscent of the great heat in the ovens where coke was made from coal at more than 1000 degrees Celsius when the Coking Plant was still in operation. The coking plant avenue separates this side from the "white side", where chemical by-products from coking were processed. Lanterns line the street, bathing it in blue light that suggests the water used to quench the coke.

With their installation, the two British lighting designers Jonathan Speirs and Mark Major impressively stage the imposing architecture of the Zollverein Coking Plant. At the same time, they visualise the transformation of the site into a place for art, culture and leisure. The former pushing machine track was filled with water to serve as a reflective design element.