In the north of Groningen the ultramodern Magnum Multifuel Power Plant is being built by NUON. When completed Magnum will occupy 40 to 60 hectares of land in the industrial sea harbour of Eemshaven. The complex of buildings and installations will reach up to 90 meters high and will stand as a striking silhouette against the horizon.

Magnum is no ordinary power plant – with the Magnum design the archetype of an industrial coal fired power plant is transformed into an icon for innovative and sustainable energy. All functions to support energy production are in the “non process building”, a building with a contemporary, dynamic and transparent look.

A colour and material scheme was designed for the entire plant. Both functional and aesthetical aspects of the use of colour were analysed, for each specific area and element in the plant. A progressive shift of colours throughout the plant helps identifying the process of producing energy – from the dark colours of the raw materials at the southern dock to the clean energy that leaves the plant at the northern boundary.