The large-scale power station "Elbe" is set – like a monumental solitaire – beside the River Elbe in the Garden Realm of Dessau-Wörlitz. Built in the 1930s and improved and extended in the 50s, this huge plant is a striking testimony to the advanced state of industrial development in Eastern Germany. The imposing building has been standing empty since operations ceased in 1994, occasionally being used as an impressive backdrop for exhibitions and various performances. In 2006, in order to develop a permanent usage concept for the building, Vattenfall Europe AG invited student architects, urban planners and those working in the preservation of monuments Germany-wide to take part in a competition. The young planners‘ innovative ideas offer exemplary evidence of the potentials of a property on this scale. The imaginative entries clearly show how the relics of a past industrial culture can be adapted to the needs of the 21st century. This book thus offers a wealth of stimuli for the complex approach to our industrial heritage – it offers homage to the giant of Vockerode and prospects for the future of similar buildings in Germany and abroad.