Szablyár Péter: Sky-high - Our Budapest (Budapest, 2007)
Water Towers
The water tower on Margaret Island The water tower on Margaret Island is a major landmark of Budapest, "the island’s Campanile’’ as it was once called. It was raised at the beginning of the last century, at a time the island was opened to the public and the municipality of the capital took possession of the area. The vegetation of the 96.5- hectare park required large quantities of sprinkling water, which is why an independent water-supply system was based on a drilled well; in the centre of this stood a 55-metre high water tower. Designed by Professor Szilárd Zielinski of the University of Technology assisted by architect Rezső Ray, the water tower was put into operation in 1911—12. Set in a reinforced-concrete structure of an octagonal cross-section, the 600- cubic-metre reservoir is 33 metres high at its bottom. The tank has a wall thickness of just ten centimetres. The tower is anchored to a flat, reinforced-concrete sheet. The characteristic appearance of the tower is due to the graceful elegance of the supporting stem's articulated frames. The reinforced-concrete columns are 13.5 metres high. ■ Water tower on Margaret Island 70
