Overview

The Westergasfabriek (Western Gas Factory) is a former coal gasification plant. It is located just west of the city near both the railway line and the waterfront. Once natural gas was introduced in the mid-1960s, the plant became functionally obsolete. The Westergas plant closed in 1967. The gasworks site consists of 19 buildings including an immense gas tank. Thirteen are protected as historic buildings under Dutch law. They were built between 1885 and 1905 in a neo-renaissance style, and thus have historical significance. Despite the residual contamination, the local district council, working with its project team and the community, built new relationships and strategies that helped design a new community park, preserved the historic buildings and established the Westergas as an international cultural venue. Every December, the theater festival Winterparade takes place here.