Wooden cooling tower, Industrial cooling tower in Severouralsk, Russia
The wooden cooling tower in Severouralsk is a 48-meter-tall structure made entirely of timber that operates on natural draft principles to regulate temperature in industrial processes. The system works by allowing hot air to rise and escape through the tower's height, while cooler air enters from below.
The tower was built in 1948 as part of the post-war industrial expansion in northern Russia. This construction period shaped how factories and heavy industries were established across remote Siberian regions.
The structure reflects how local industries adapted traditional timber construction to meet modern cooling requirements, blending regional building practices with industrial needs.
The structure is visible from public areas and can be observed from a distance to appreciate its full height and wooden construction. Visit during daylight hours for the clearest view of the timber framework and architectural details.
This is one of the tallest all-wooden industrial structures built in that era and has survived decades of extreme Siberian weather with minimal maintenance. Few people realize that such large-scale cooling systems could be constructed almost entirely from timber without advanced chemical treatments.
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