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| Historic Water Tower Goes from Landmark to Scenic Overlook Posted: 20 May 2014 08:00 AM PDT
The St. Jansklooter water tower in the Netherlands sits directly in the middle of the De Wieden National Park, a protected nature reserve. While the tower once provided a vital service to the surrounding town, it has now itself become a protected landmark. Zecc Architects were brought in to transform the water tower from a lovely landmark into a functional way to enjoy the surrounding nature reserve.
The architects added a winding staircase of natural wood to the industrial interior of the water tower leading up to a spectacular observation deck from which to take in the breathtaking scenery. The first part of the staircase leads up to an interior room that displays the original metal stairs alongside the newer wooden stairs.
Following the wooden stairs up further, visitors can still see the original stairs which wound around the interior wall of the tower. The new stairs zig-zag their way up to the top, creating a lovely contrast between the older, industrial materials and the warmer, more natural wood.
The second room visitors will reach is a tall chamber that lets them take in the massive size of the of the concrete reservoir overhead. From there, the original stairs are used again to let visitors walk in a spiral around the inside of the reservoir, further intensifying the feeling of wonderment at the size of the landmark.
At the very top of the monument, part of the water tower’s lid has been removed to create a stunning look-out for visitors. A transparent floor – certainly not for those afraid of heights – lets you look down through the interior of the water tower. Several new windows were added alongside the existing windows, allowing for an even wider view of the surrounding nature preserve.
The architects were careful to retain the traditional look of the structure so that the conversion would not interfere with the historical nature of the water tower. The exterior has been left completely untouched and the interior has been only minimally altered, retaining the landmark’s historic appearance and pleasing the residents of the area who view the water tower and the nature reserve as communal property. Keep Going - Check Out These Great Related Dornob Articles: |
| Pages of Change: Revolutionary Book Provides Clean Water Posted: 19 May 2014 02:00 PM PDT
Many books have been said to change lives, but this is one that can literally change – and save – the lives of millions of people. Although water is necessary for life, a shocking number of humans do not have access to clean, non-contaminated water. In the developing world, more than three million people die annually of causes related to poor sanitation and hygiene. Design group DDB New York, in cooperation with WATERisLIFE, wants to throw the book at that number.
The book in this case is called The Drinkable Book, and it is half safe water instructions and half functional water filter. Each book contains 24 pages, each of which consists of two water filters. The filters are impregnated with silver nanoparticles – a substance that is deadly to bacteria but harmless to humans in small amounts. They are also printed with instructions, tips, and information about water contamination.
To use the filter, all that you have to do is tear off half of a page and put it into the book’s casing, a 3D printed box. When you pour contaminated water through the filter, the contaminants are killed and you are left with safe, clean drinking water. Each filter is good for 30 days, meaning that every book can provide four years of safe water for one person. Keep Going - Check Out These Great Related Dornob Articles: |
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