Cooling Towers explores industrial architecture through a systematic visual approach focusing on the distinctive forms of cooling towers. Bernd and Hilla Becher employ their characteristic typological method, presenting pairs of black-and-white images that highlight structural details and subtle variations among similar towers.

The photographs emphasize geometric shapes and repetitive patterns, creating a rhythm that underscores the towers’ sculptural qualities. The mood is clinical and documentary, allowing the viewer to contemplate the functional elegance of these monumental constructions without distraction.

Published by MIT Press in 2006, the 248-page book continues the Bechers’ rigorous study of industrial landscapes, contributing both to architectural history and photographic typology.