Eber’s water towers 2008

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 1/2008

A free translation to English:

Charles Laganne in the south French city Toulouse left 1822 a large sum of money with the intention to make distribution of pure, clean and pleasant water possible; there the source was the river Garonne. 60 000 persons got 1828 benefit of a construction with both filter and water tower.

In the water tower of bricks there were in the lower part paddle wheels and in the upper part reservoirs. When the demand of capacity was increasing, the tower, lost its original function, but was 1943 a historic building. Today is the water tower an Art Gallery and Photo Museum; there the old pumps enhance the value of attraction.

Published 2009-02-13


Eber’s water towers in Cirkulation 2/2008

A free translation to English:

There storks exist there is it water. A good rule with considering where these birds got there feed. More unusual is the rule that there storks exist there is it water towers. This is however valid in the German village Rühstädt on the river Elbe, 150 km upstream Hamburg.

In the park of the castle is since 1885 a water tower standing with a stork’s nest since 1952. With further circa 140 storks in the village, the birth rate should be large, but here is only 240 inhabitants living. But they got a stork feather in the hat, when they were elected to the European Village of Storks 1996. The water tower that’s were out of duty 1912 and was been restored 1992 is a symbol of Rühstädt.

Published 2009-03-19


Eber’s water towers in Cirkulation 3/2008

A free translation to English:

Water is an important elixir, and something we shall stand up for. This was taken literally when they build a water tower in Washburn Park in Minneapolis in USA. Here were eight guardians (guardians of health) set up around the whole water tower. Permanent. To make doubly sure they even set up eight eagles to watch over the environment.

The sculptures are works by John K. Daniels, lived in the neighbourhood like Harry Wild Jones, who was the architect of the 34 meter high water tower with the volume 5 100 m³. To its unique design and to its monumental sculptures the water tower has since 1983 been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Published 2009-04-30


Eber’s water towers in Cirkulation 4/2008

A free translation to English:

Stazione Termini, Rome Central Station, is named after one of the Roman large baths, Diocletianus thermae, there baths was going on in alternating warm and cold water. On the opposite part of the station area is there two flank water towers that ought to have delivered cold water to the locomotives, water that thereafter was heated.

The water towers are drawn by chief engineer and chief architect Angiolo Mazzoni that was inspired by the Constructivist architecture style. The towers as well as the renewal of the station were a work on the eve of the great World Exhibition 1942 in Rome, an event that however comes to nothing.

Published 2009-06-04


Eber’s water towers in Cirkulation 5/2008

A free translation to English:

In the town Faro on the Portuguese coast of Algarve are there two water towers that are so similar that they could be called twins. One tower is standing in the west and logic is the other tower standing in the east. The explanation of the distinctive tower design could be the allusion of the Moorish past period.

The towers supply together 220 m³ water per hour on average in the high zone of the town. The tower of the picture is built 1967 in a project under the management of engineer F. G. Burnay de Mendonça. The high reservoir has a volume of 1 000 m³, which is supplemented by a low reservoir of 4 600 m³ on the tower foundation.

Published 2009-08-20


Eber’s water towers in Cirkulation 6/2008

A free translation to English:

It is not quite unusually to find solid water towers on German manors. Such example is the manor Wulmenau, south of Lübeck and only 5 kilometres east of an Autobahn that many from Scandinavia drive when they shall go southbound. These holiday-makers should if they sometimes derivate from the German car artery discover a new civilized world.

The water tower in Wulmenau that was in operation 1912-1972 is built in reinforced concrete on a foundation of natural stone. The five storey high tower with a reservoir on 50 m³ is today classified as a monument. The owner is now looking of investors that can make dwellings in the tower.

Published 2009-09-24


Eber’s water towers in Cirkulation 7/2008

A free translation to English:

Is it possible to extinguish fire with firewater? On the roof of the head office of the distillery Brown-Foreman in the city of Louisville in Kentucky in USA is there standing a water tower shaped as a bourbon bottle (American whisky), and with the task to be a water reserve of any possible fires.

The painting on the steel water tower is reflecting one of the great trade marks of the company, Old Forester, which was brought out as early as 1870 and that contain 43 % combustible liquid. The 19 metres high rivet tower containing 100 % extinguish water to a volume of 100 000 US gallon (378 m³). During the years has the water tower change painting, when the original has change design.

Published 2009-11-05


Eber’s water towers in Cirkulation 8/2008

The Swedish word “skål” means both “bowl” and “toast”.

A free translation to English :

A bowl open to the heaven can both symbolize that we gratefully receive the from above coming life-giving liquid, and that this liquid is bringing to the citizens. A pantry of the water that always is available with quality articles. In Haderslev, a town in the Danish South Jutland, was there built a concrete water tower 1991-92, that very much visualize this.

Architect Wolfgang Kleemann has here shaped a water tower as a bowl, standing on two plates. The tower has a diameter of 32 m and a height of 18 m, and has been given the volume of 3 300 m³. It became a tower with plain and distinct lines. Bowl for the water/Toast to the water.

Published 2009-12-10


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