Survey Data
Reg No
20861003
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Technical
Original Use
Water tower
In Use As
Water tower
Date
1965 - 1975
Coordinates
165360, 73069
Date Recorded
25/02/2011
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Freestanding water tower, designed 1968; built 1971-2, on a circular plan. Reinforced concrete "kinked" piers circling precast concrete columnar tube with precast concrete fluted water tank having scalloped coping. Set in shared grounds with roughcast boundary wall to perimeter having concrete coping.
Appraisal
A water tower commissioned by Cork Corporation to support the suburban expansion of the city and the development of 1,700 houses in Churchfield, Hollyhill and Knocknaheeny. The water tower, its fluted tank storing 400,000 gallons of clean drinking water, was designed (1968) by Malachy Walsh and Partners (established 1967) and was inspired by the Château d'Eau de la Guérinière (1956-8), Caen, Normandy, by the Brutalist architect Guillaume Gillet (1912-87). The contractors were Bowen Mullally and Company (established 1968) and the estimated cost of £58,200 rose to £73,896 on completion. Councillor Gerald Yael Goldberg (1912-2003) described the water tower as 'futuristic' but predicted that it would 'fit into the landscape': that prediction may not have come to pass and the water tower, occupying an elevated site, is a conspicuous and striking landmark visible from several points around the city.