The Contra dam (or Verzasca dam) is a 220-metre high arch hydroelectric dam in the Val Verzasca, Switzerland. It was constructed between 1960 and 1965.
The dam forms Lago di Vogorno, an artificial reservoir. It was designed by Lombardi Engineering. Made of concrete, the structure dams the Verzasca River and retains over 100 million cubic metres of water. The builder and owner is Verzasca SA, an electricity generator which has an 80-year concessio...
more
The Contra dam (or Verzasca dam) is a 220-metre high arch hydroelectric dam in the Val Verzasca, Switzerland. It was constructed between 1960 and 1965.
The dam forms Lago di Vogorno, an artificial reservoir. It was designed by Lombardi Engineering. Made of concrete, the structure dams the Verzasca River and retains over 100 million cubic metres of water. The builder and owner is Verzasca SA, an electricity generator which has an 80-year concession to expire in 2046. It generates 105MW of electricity. The designer, Dr. Lombardi, considers it one of his most aesthetically pleasing dams, primarily because of the slenderness of the concrete arch; the smaller volume of concrete also kept construction costs low. It is the 25th tallest dam in the world.
The dam is one of several at which the filling of the reservoir has triggered small earthquakes.
The dam leases access to a commercial bungee jump operator. The opening scene of the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye was filmed here. The dam...
less
