Bernd and Hilla Becher's "Kühlturme" series documents industrial cooling towers across Europe and North America through systematic large format photography, creating a typological archive of these monumental structures. The Bechers' methodical approach treats industrial architecture as worthy of serious aesthetic consideration, presenting each tower in similar lighting and framing to emphasize formal variations within a standardized typology. Their work became foundational to conceptual art practice and influenced generations of photographers to view vernacular and industrial landscapes as subjects deserving rigorous visual investigation.