Rostock water tower
| Rostock water tower | |
|---|---|
 General view of the tower from the northwest (2018) |
|
| Data | |
| Year of construction / construction time: | 1903 |
| Tower height: | about 40 m without the crown |
| Container volume: | 800 m³ |
| Operating condition: | shut down since 1959 |
| Original use: | Water supply |
| Conversion: | Cultural institution |
| Monument protection: | Yes |
The municipal water tower of Rostock is a Grade II listed art building with an elevated tank, both for drinking water supply also served the residents as to produce a constant water pressure in the water supply system of the city. It is located on Blücherstrasse, not far from Rostock Central Station . The water tower, built in 1903, is one of the most important historical structures in Rostock, but was no longer needed in 1959 and was shut down. After the fall of the Wall , in the 1990s, the building could be renovated and the interior rebuilt.
The construction
The polygonal base is made of natural stone, the structure of brick . The base is followed by a shaft that is circular in plan and tapering towards the top. The use of glazed bricks gives the smooth wall decorative stripes that rise diagonally in the lower area and create a zigzag pattern above. A frieze with a cross pattern surrounds the shaft like a belt. At the front the frieze is interrupted by a coat of arms mosaic. It shows an earlier version of the Rostock coat of arms with the Rostock griffin standing upright. Arched arcades form the transition from the shaft to the area of the elevated tank, where the tower widens . The casing of the container is very elaborately designed and, with its decorative elements, ties in with brick Gothic designs : seven copper-covered turrets form the top. In between there are six gable elements with pointed-arch blind niches that give the impression of church windows. A steel tank that holds 800 m³ of water acts as an elevated tank.
history
The first (now defunct) Rostock water tower was built on the Galgenberg above the Warnow . It was part of the city's central water supply , which went into operation in 1867. In 1893, a new waterworks was built below the Galgenberg, near the Warnow, from which the water was taken . In 1903 the new water tower was built. The structure was severely damaged in the nights of bombing during World War II . An immediate repair was carried out because the tower was essential for the city's drinking water supply. The tower served its original purpose until 1959. Then the water supply was switched to modern pumps, which generate constant water pressure.
Conservation and conversion
In the years 1991 to 1996 a renovation and a comprehensive reconstruction by the AFW work promotion and training center in Rostock took place . After that, seven floors were created inside. They are used as a meeting place for young people and as a depot for the Museum of Cultural History . Parts of the technical equipment such as the elevated tank and the pipe and valve systems could be retained during the renovation.
Comparable towers
The smaller water towers in Schwerin-Neumühle and Eutin have similarities with the Rostock tower with their neo-Gothic decor.
Web links
- Hanseatic city of Rostock, worth seeing: Rostock water tower
- Renovation of the water tower takes longer and is more expensive
Individual evidence
- ↑ Brief description on Flickr (with picture) , accessed on February 22, 2018.
- ↑ Information on structurae , accessed on February 22, 2018.
- ↑ Rostock water tower at www.rostock.m-vp.de; accessed on February 22, 2018.
Coordinates: 54 ° 4 ′ 38.13 ″ N , 12 ° 8 ′ 32.5 ″ E