The Rjukan valley, Vemork, Norway
The Rjukan valley was transformed from 1902-1910 from a quiet, rural community to a thriving town by the building of a hydro electric power station and nitrate fertiliser plant. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. In the 1930s the nitrate plant was converted and enlarged to produce ammonia, a by-product of which is 'heavy water'. The Germans were thought to be using the heavy water to develop nuclear weapons during the Second World War, leading to the most successful act of sabotage when the plant was blown up. The site is now a museum. I sketched the gorge from the car park of the museum while we waited for a minibus, using a Derwent Graphix pen which isn't waterproof, then adding watercolour. I added more linework when the colour had dried. The valley is so dark the town of Rjukan has mirrors positioned on the hill side to select sunlight into the main square.
The Rjukan valley, Vemork, Norway
The Rjukan valley was transformed from 1902-1910 from a quiet, rural community to a thriving town by the building of a hydro electric power station and nitrate fertiliser plant. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. In the 1930s the nitrate plant was converted and enlarged to produce ammonia, a by-product of which is 'heavy water'. The Germans were thought to be using the heavy water to develop nuclear weapons during the Second World War, leading to the most successful act of sabotage when the plant was blown up. The site is now a museum. I sketched the gorge from the car park of the museum while we waited for a minibus, using a Derwent Graphix pen which isn't waterproof, then adding watercolour. I added more linework when the colour had dried. The valley is so dark the town of Rjukan has mirrors positioned on the hill side to select sunlight into the main square.