Contra Dam, Arch dam in Ticino, Switzerland.
The Contra Dam stretches 380 meters (1,250 ft) across the Verzasca River valley and reaches 220 meters (720 ft) in height with a curved form that fits between the rock walls. The arch structure uses the natural geometry of the gorge to distribute water pressure evenly to both sides of the valley.
Engineer Giovanni Lombardi designed the facility, which took five years to build and was completed in 1965. After the reservoir first filled, small earthquakes caused by the weight of the water occurred until 1971.
The structure gained worldwide attention through its role in the opening of the 1995 James Bond film, where a stuntman leaped down the entire height of the wall. Today visitors from many countries come to see the location of that famous scene and experience the depth for themselves.
The site sits in a narrow gorge where steep paths along the river lead to the base and reveal the full height from below. The terrain requires sturdy footwear and a willingness to hike in order to get closer to the structure.
Three Francis turbines generate 105 megawatts of power while the reservoir holds 105 million cubic meters of water for energy production. The facility uses the steep drop of the Verzasca valley to channel water through the turbines at high pressure.
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