The Schöffer tower

 

The Schöffer tower, designed in 1961, rises in the immediate vicinity of the Palais des Congrès. Its designer, Nicolas Schöffer, is known as the father of cybernetic art and was one of the most significant artists of the second half of the 20th century. The work in Liège is the first and largest of his cybernetic towers.

The tower consists of an abstract sculpture 52 metres in height made up of an aerated frame of square steel tubes. This frame, which features plaques, mirrors and paddles, various shapes and dimensions, was originally driven using motors activated by an electronic brain. The way the whole of the cybernetic device worked was based on three organs: a lighting system, a sound system and. controlling everything, an electric brain responsible for three types of action: movement, music and lighting. Immobile and silent for many years now, the tower requires restoring and a study is underway.

Listed: 29-12-1997

Exceptional heritage site of Wallonia