Water Tower of Luxemburg-Gasperich
The water tower of Gasperich gives a true urban meaning to a technical building often ignored and an architectural quality equivalent to the value of its contents: water.
Located on the edge of the freeway junction formed by the A6 and A3, the water tower establishes a landmark for the visitor but also for the native, as it becomes the central water distributor for the entire new district of Gasperich. The monument organizes flows on the city’s scale but also on the scale of travels on the European Highway 25 connecting Hoek van Holland (Netherlands) to Genoa (Italy).
The water tower is one of the fixed points of the urban dynamics in the same way as a millennial fortification, a roundabout, a tower. The façade emulates this simultaneous expression of dynamics and permanence, by taking inspiration from the streaks that flowing water carves into stone over hundreds of years. Being one of the first elements of the Ban de Gasperich neighbourhood, it is a both simple and poetic gesture, which becomes the introduction to the creative energy of the city.
The skin of the tower is composed of a uniform grid of unique aluminium panels, which assembles into a lace pattern. This intricate exterior stands in contrast to the pragmatism of its inner life, a minimal exposed concrete core, to which the paneling is fixed. Due to the sensitive nature of drinking water, all materials are non-deteriorating, and the aluminium façade is entirely recyclable. For easy maintenance, a panel data base was created, and all functioning of the water tower is monitored remotely, allowing for constant quality feedback.