Look upward at the brick chimney of the Gas Reusense. This structure is a fumera or chimney that was part of the old Gas Reusense industry. It is located on Avinguda de Marià Fortuny in Reus and is made of exposed brick.
The history begins in 1854 when Macià Vila and others founded the Sociedad Gas Reusense near the old road to La Canonja. By 1856, the facilities were inaugurated and began supplying gas to the city of Reus for private consumption and public lighting from thermal energy. In 1899, the facility also began generating electricity for distribution throughout the city.
This specific chimney was built for the electricity factory. It has a square base with vertical bands framing the edges of the first body and a row of arches at the bottom. The central body is a long cylindrical tube of decreasing diameter with seven metal rings distributed throughout the chimney. The cornice is centered with filet moldings and the entire structure is made of exposed brick.
Although the Gas Reusense company disappeared in 1969 after being absorbed by Catalana de Gas y Electricidad, the chimney remains a visible part of the city's landscape. It stands as a piece of the local industrial past, reflecting the growth of Reus's energy infrastructure.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
Discuss this with the author and others
No comments yet. Be the first to start the conversation.