Vinohrady Water Tower to be transformed into water education centre
One of the landmarks of Prague’s Vinohrady district is the beautiful neo-renaissance Water Tower. Prague City Hall has now announced plans to transform the listed technical monument, which no longer serves its purpose, into a state-of-the-art water education centre.
The Vinohrady Water Tower was built in 1882 based on a design by architect Antonín Turek. Its construction was initiated by what was then the independent Royal Town of Vinohrady.
Its seventh, highest floor originally contained a tank that could hold 200 cubic metres of water. Initially the water was pumped from the Vltava River and, after 1912, from a large water-station in Káraný. The water tower supplied several Prague districts, including Strašnice, Žižkov and Vršovice.
After it stopped serving its original purpose in 1962, the tower was transformed into apartments and offices. In 1991, the building was declared a National Cultural Monument, but in recent years, it has been empty and falling into disrepair.
Now, the tower and the adjacent area are set to undergo a major transformation, turning into an exhibition space focused on water management, says deputy mayor of Prague, Jana Komrsková:
“The object has been empty and in a state of disrepair. Our main goal is to open it again and make it accessible to the wide public. We want to create a space where people can relax, but it will primarily serve as an education centre that will present water as a precious commodity, which we tend to take for granted, but the opposite is true.”
The project, entitled Hydropolis, is being prepared in cooperation with the Prague Water Management Company, Prague Water Supply and Sewerage Company, and the water company Veolia. It includes the transformation of one of the two underground water tanks into an exhibition space, while the other will be reconnected to the Prague drinking water supply system.
On each of the seven floors, visitors will learn all about water and water management. The roof will be turned into a viewpoint and there will also be a conference hall with a capacity of up to 150 spaces and a refreshment area - a public space with a variety of water features, benches and opportunities to relax.
Jana Komrsková again:
“The idea for the project has been in the works for several years now and the capital has finally decided to go ahead with it. We already have a building permit and the public tender for the contractor is currently underway. The project is part of the city’s adaptation to the ongoing climate change and it’s really important to us, because we should all learn about and understand the importance of sustainable water management.”
The reconstruction of the Vinohrady Water Tower, which is expected to cost around CZK 450 million, is set to start in September. If everything goes according to plan, it could open to the public by mid-2026.
