Water Tower

Water Tower

This 62m tall tower in the Borek district, designed by Karla Klimma, was built from clinker brick between 1903-904. It still impresses with its refined architecture, its ornaments and reliefs of Eclectic, Art Deco, Neo-Romanesque and Neo-Gothic styles. Originally the first two storeys were intended for technical service apartments, at present however it serves as functional space as well as the attic above. The top octagonal part, leaning on nine pillars, covered with a tented roof, used to be a water tank. It is crowned with an Art Deco dome. In the middle pillar, which used to contain waterworks, there is one lift and in the side turret there is another one, along with the staircase. Soon after the tower was opened in 1906, it started to be visited as the visitors enjoyed the observation deck at a height of 42m. It has a splendid view of the city. When the weather is good, even Ślęża River (30km away) and Karkonosze Mountains (100km away) can be seen. This is why it was a perfect observation deck for the Germans during the Wroclaw Siege by the Red Army in 1945. From here was where firing was supervised. After the war it gradually fell into disrepair even though it was part of the city's waterworks until the mid-1980s. It was declared a historical monument in 1978. It was thoroughly renovated by Stephan Elektronik Investment which purchased the tower at the end of the 1990s. After the renovation it became a restaurant complex of "Water Tower" ("Wieża Ciśnień").