In
The Living Daylights Bond helps a Russian general, Georgi Koskov, defect to the west. The defection takes place in Bratislava and when the general asks how he will get across the border, Bond tells him that they have a pipeline to the west. The general is then sent across the border from Czechoslovakia over to Austria in the Trans-Siberian Pipeline. The pipeline is ending up in a gas tank called gasometer, in Vienna. Q is there receiving the general.
All of the action in Bratislava were actually filmed in Vienna, and the four gasometer buildings can also be found here, alongside Guglgasse in the district Simmering, some 15 min. outside the city center. The containers were originally used to help supply Vienna with gas. In the film, the pipeline is supposedly ending up inside the last of the four gasometer buildings. This is the most eastern building, 'Gasometer D'. For the film, a fake piece of the pipeline was constructed and just attached to the building. It was probably just a small pipe that looked bigger on screen.
When the buildings were retired in the 1980's the "shells" were preserved and the structures found a new use with buildings constructed inside. Today all four gasometers house apartment buildings, shops and a mall. Very little of the original interior can be seen. But you can always have a nice lunch in the galleria inside the A building, and get as close to Koskov as you can.
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| Inside Gasometer B today. Was Ken Adam hired to do the interior? |
The four buildings were originally constructed between 1896-1899 as part of the Vienna municipal gas works. They were in use until 1984, and thus available for the film team in 1987 at the time of
The Living Daylights.
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| Koscov escapes to Britain. |
You have a nice view over the last gasometer, the one Koskov escapes from, from Otto-Herschmann-Gasse. The untouched exterior makes this location well worth a visit when in Vienna. It is conveniently located just by the underground station "Gasometer".
All of the action in Bratislava were actually filmed in Vienna, and the four gasometer buildings can also be found here, alongside Guglgasse in the district Simmering, some 15 min. outside the city center. The containers were originally used to help supply Vienna with gas. In the film, the pipeline is supposedly ending up inside the last of the four gasometer buildings. This is the most eastern building, 'Gasometer D'. For the film, a fake piece of the pipeline was constructed and just attached to the building. It was probably just a small pipe that looked bigger on screen.
When the buildings were retired in the 1980's the "shells" were preserved and the structures found a new use with buildings constructed inside. Today all four gasometers house apartment buildings, shops and a mall. Very little of the original interior can be seen. But you can always have a nice lunch in the galleria inside the A building, and get as close to Koskov as you can.
I remember when James Bond shoot a scene at Los Angeles in one of the Residential Filming Location, that was an unforgettable experience for me.
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