Project in Detail
Water Tower
Budapest, Hungary
Narthex Ltd, Budapest, Hungary
2008
3000m3 Water tower – Budapest, Hungary
The planning process of the water tower started off with a national architectural open design contest held by the Water Works of Budapest. Altough the 23 entries architectural language-vise represented 23 unique, and very different solutions, there were two basicly different kinds of approches: ones were the desings stemming form the „original, classic” water tower form, and the others were the „inventors” representing more house-like concepts. The Jury seletcted the work of Narthex Ltd. (Tamás Perényi and József Kolossa architects) as winner with the following explanaiton:
"The design is deeply rooted in the classic water tower form. While aming the strucutral, mechanical engeneering optimum, the architectural quality makes a fine balance, and so to the result is lean strucutre, which serves its purpose, and at the same time pleases the eye. The traditional form is resolved by the asymmetric shell – stem relation. The two main elements – the shell and the stem – are visually separated and a so an elegant floating sensation emerges inspite of the huge forces, and volumes at work. The tower and its surroundings are in unison."
In the last 100-120 years there were two distinct ages of water tower buiding in Hungary. The towers contructed before the 2nd World War were beautifuly detailed, ornamented landmarks, which aged gracefuly and held a very respectful and elegant air around them. After the 50-ies the architectural language of the towers changed, and a new funcional design was practiced, which resulted ugly-aging, brutal concrete monsters lacking any sophisticated architectural detaling.
Our main aim throughout the design process was to create a tower which is very functional, efficient and pragmatic, but at the same time is rich in fine architectural details. We tried to make the architectural expression equal to the usefulnes and function of the tower. We belive, that such a delicate balance may enable such a huge building to become a cherished icon of the landscape.
The construction site is on the edge of residential housing blocks, within a large national nature reserve area. The site covered with a special kind of boulder-turf. Its protection and recultivation was a major consideration throughout both the planning and the both the construcion process.
We tried to create a design that reaches back to the pre-War traditions of hungarian water tower building in respect of the fine detailing and expression, and at he same time through clear form, integrity and order continues the post-War traditions as well. These are the reasons why we chose sphere-section shell, which is not only stabbed through one point by the stem, but is consoled by four huge „fingers”. This composition emphasises the enormity of the shell, and creates an elegantly floating expression. To fully satisfy our expectations of elegance and unexpectedness, we went one step further: the stem’s position is asymmetric to the shell.
During the planing process the stem itself was carefuly designed and moved out of its traditional cylinder form. We chose a horseshoe shape, which is extremly stable and durable, and at the same time provides a different look from different angles.
The whole structure of the water tower is steel enforced concrete. The shell in itself is watertight. This provides the long life sustainability of the tower, because this way there’s no need to use extra layers of glazes, coatings, which generally tend to deteriorate, and attract unwanted bacteria over a very short period of time. Steel enforced conrete suits all the lifelong (60-80 years) reqiurements of the tower, and is least sensitive to sustainability issues.
Within the stem, there’s a glass-walled elevator, and following the curves of the horseshoe shaped stem runs the staircase. In the central axis of the stem, above the main entrace theres a slash of glass wall, so the staircase is lit by natural light.
Going up the elevator or the stairs, one arrives to the upper deck, which is a proper look-out terasse. On our way out to te look out ring, one may observe water-levels of the tower too bringing the primary function of the tower
closer to the people.
Perényi Tamás DLA, Kolossa József DLA architects
Lead Architect
Narthex Ltd
Budapest
Hungary