Eber’s water towers 2002

The leading trade journal in Sweden, VA-tidskriften Cirkulation has since 1998 an article series under the heading Ebers vattentorn (Eber’s water towers), where Eber Ohlsson with text and photo presents interesting water towers in the world (except Scania and Sweden). Below is a free translation to English of these texts.


Eber’s water towers in Cirkulation 1/2002

The English expression “in the gravy” has a comparing Swedish expression (translated) “in the butter”.

A free translation to English:

Illustrate margarine packets with water towers is not usually, but has been applied by the Esbjerg Margarinefabrik [Esbjerg Margarine factory]. It is a trick that is intelligible, because a trade market shall be distinctive and besides that connected to positive values. What can in that case be more suitable than a magnificent water tower and besides that the mark of the Danish town.

Architect for the since 1897 on a hill, also a Bronze Age hill, standing western Jutland tower, with its characteristic tourelles, was Christian Hjerrild Clausen. He had in all probability the Medieval Haus Nassaau in Nuremberg as a model. The cylindrical reservoir of the tower is holding only 130 m³, which early was too little in the expansive export port town.

The tower that since long time is out of operation, got at ten years ago a solid repair work, and has today summer exhibitions with tower view. The tower that is a historic building and has its own association, is so to say, in the gravy.

Published 2002-02-13


Eber’s water towers in Cirkulation 2/2002

The English word “leaved” (the last word in the text) is comparing with a Swedish word in the original text that is built on the word (translated) “drip”.

A free translation to English:

Hydrotherapy (cold water treatment) cures nervous illness. Can it has been thoughts of this therapeutic treatment, that done that when they in the capital of the German Empire Berlin in the end of the 1800s should built a new psychiatric hospital to 1 000 patients, even was planning a water tower? Or was only an establishment that fresh water gives fresh lives. The year 1880 was the hospital in any case finished, with water tower in a central place of the area.

Architect for what today is been called Karl-Bonhoffer-Nervenklinik was Stadtbaurat Herman Blankenstein. The 28 meter high water tower, with a square ground plan, had originally a reservoir on 85 m³, but was enlarged to 90 m³ at a rebuilding 1967, when the copper plate of the reservoir was changed to galvanized steel. To want extent the treatment has changed is unknown, perhaps is some method leaved.

Published 2002-03-20


Eber’s water towers in Cirkulation 3/2002

A free translation to English:

One of the pioneers of the reinforced concrete, François Hennebique built the year 1904 a house to himself in Bourg-la-Reine, a fashionable suburb south Paris. This exciting house is a good example how the concrete is using in a monolithic construction, a field there Hennebique was a trail-blazer.

In the house has he used many of the concrete’s advanced means of expression, which together with the solid works done that the house is still feeling as up to date.

One of the building elements, the finishing touch, is the minaret-similar 40 meter high tower, that halfway up has a water reservoir that is holding 25 m³. With this water tower has Hennebique built an exclamation mark of the reinforced concrete.

Published 2002-04-24


Eber’s water towers in Cirkulation 4/2002

A free translation to English:

Water towers are a form of elevating activity that interesting enough exist in some airports, as in the old airport Kbely in Prague. The tower there, in reinforced concrete with supplying glazed-in and an airway beacon on the top, was drawn by architect Ottakar Novotny and built 1927-28.

The airplane relief on the reservoir façade (very likely Farman F-62 Goliath) was designed by Jan Lauda. These relief planes have the civil airplane registration “L-B”, a mark for The Czechoslovakia until 1930. The water tower, since long time standing in a military area, was out of operation under the 1970s. On another plane, the heraldry, has the tower been lifting, it adorn now the coat of arms in the Kbely district.

Published 2002-06-12


Eber’s water towers in Cirkulation 5/2002

A free translation to English:

Eau de Cologne are perhaps that, as nowadays will fill the old water tower at Kaygasse i Cologne [Köln]. Otherwise was it, when the 35 meter high water tower was finished 1872, at that time it was filled with another form of water from Cologne, 3 600 m³ drinking-water. The English architect John Moore drawn the tower that was out of operation at the earlier turn of the century, after which it house workshops and warehouses.

Under the Second World War was the tower a bunker with thick concrete. The act of war heavily damaged the tower, but it began a new life when it in the end of the 1980s was rebuilt to a exceedingly stylish luxury hotel, perhaps the German’s best and most distinctive, there the guests certainly is surrounded by some ethereal liquid.

Published 2002-08-21


Eber’s water towers in Cirkulation 6/2002

A free translation to English:

Silicon Valley may be the Mecca of the modern technique, but the men there as well as other places needs water. Water delivered with help of old tested techniques, as communicating vessels, which on the low-lying ground south of San Francisco Bay mean water towers.

Such a tower in local adjusted style is there in the Agnews Developmental Center, an earlier federal state mental hospital in the heart of the California city San Jose. Some of the modernity apostles estimate however these upright technique relicts, because they can be used within the mobile telephony.

Published 2002-10-02


Eber’s water towers in Cirkulation 7/2002

A free translation to English:

Brewing beer needs with the exception of malt hops and yeasts, even good water. Many breweries give in there’s sales argument prominence to what a good water spring they have access to. The brewery “Pilsner Urquell” in the city Pilsen in the Czech Republic, should perhaps except to give prominence to its soft water, even be able to sell The Original Pilsner Beer on its water tower, either the tower contain the primary product or the finished product.

The fire hydrant on the brewery ground is marked “Pilsner Urquell”, and the century-old Art Nouveau water tower will naturally supply these at extinction, either it concern fire or thirst.

Published 2002-11-06


Eber’s water towers in Cirkulation 8/2002

The writer has a son-name…, Swedish=son, Danish=sen.

A free translation to English:

Peder Andersen was a factory owner that lived and worked in Frederiksberg in the 1800s, a municipality surrounded by the Danish capital. He arranged 1869 a private water supply in the east part of his home municipality, and built at that time a water tower on his own ground.

The year 1877 he repeated the achievement by further westbound built a new water work and water tower, at P Andersens Vej [P Andersen road]. The tower, with a reservoir on circa 500 m³ that is carried by cross-pillars, was out of duty 1948 and is since 1990 a historic building. Even today is the name Andersen standing on the water tower, a beautiful memory that perhaps even should fit other son-names…

Published 2002-12-11


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