The Chișinău Water Tower () is an

architectural Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...

Chișinău Chișinău ( , , ; formerly known as Kishinev) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Moldova, largest city of Moldova. The city is Moldova's main industrial and commercial centre, and is located in the middle of the coun ...

Moldova Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. ...

, located at 2 Mitropolit Bănulescu-Bodoni Street and built at the end of 19th century after a project by Alexander Bernadazzi. It was a main part of Chișinău's

water system A water supply network or water supply system is a system of engineered hydrologic and hydraulic components that provide water supply. A water supply system typically includes the following: # A drainage basin (see water purification – sourc ...

. The upper level was built of

wood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...

and was destroyed by an

earthquake An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...

. It was rebuilt between 1980 and 1983. It currently hosts Chișinău City museum, which contains items dating from 15th to 20th centuries. The upper level is a space for exhibitions of both legacy and modern paintings and photographies, as well as various cultural events.

History

As soon as the tower was completed, the city government opened city's first sewerage network, which had been planned during Carol Schmidt's mayor term. The tower started to serve the central part of the city, with a capacity of approx. 2,000 tonnes of water per day. It was a water tower until 1940, and starting that year it was a firefighter's building, with the upper level holding a water tank. It was converted into a museum in 1971.Muzeul istoriei orașului Chișinău
''prospect.md''. Accessed on March 28, 2020.

Structure

The tower's height is . The walls are built of local rock, with some rows of brick. Their width varies from at the upper level to at the bottom. Inside there is a spiral staircase. When the tower was renovated, an elevator was installed. For a short while, the History Museum of Chișinău had its headquarters in this building. The building suffered significant structural damage during the 1990 Vrancea earthquakes, and was closed for 10 years as a result. The museum opened briefly in 2000, and the tower entered renovation shortly afterwards. The restoration works completed in 2011, with minor improvements in 2013. A similar tower was built at the crossing of Vasile Alecsandri and Veronica Micle streets, but it does not exist anymore.

Note

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chisinau Water Tower Towers completed in the 19th century Buildings and structures in Chișinău Water towers in Moldova Museums in Chișinău