LUDOVIKA SHAFT

ANIMATED 3D RECONSTRUCTION (EXCERPT)

“Ludovika shaft in Spania Dolina – a look back”, is an animated 3D reconstruction of the reversible waterwheel and hauling process used to mine copper ore in Spania Dolina, (Slovakia), dating back to the early 1800s. Based upon original building diagrams, this animation tries to accurately reconstruct how the hauling machinery and process of this type looked and worked.

Ludovika-Tazny-Gapel

Mining at the shaft ceased in 1888 and today, all that remains, are two stone pillars, a ruin of the main building and the shaft itself. It is probably the only evocative example of a building that housed a 12 meter waterwheel remaining in Slovakia. With most other shafts collapsed or filled, the Ludovika shaft still reaches a haunting depth of almost 400 meters.