On Saturday evening, the birthday of the iconic water tower in Szeged was celebrated with light painting.
The Szent István square water tower is the first construction of this type in Hungary built from reinforced concrete and is still part of the drinking water network system - Szegedi Vízmű Zrt in its announcement
The greatest of the era worked on the water tower
In 1903, the free royal city of Szeged announced a tender for the construction of a thousand cubic meter water tower. Architect Szilárd Zielinszki came up with an idea that was considered revolutionary at the time: he dreamed up a reinforced concrete structure. The Art Nouveau facade of the building was designed by Flóris Korb, and the construction was carried out by the construction contractors Henrik Freund and his sons.
The city did not have sufficient capital for the investment costing 110,000 crowns, so the financial conditions necessary for the works were created with a long-term bank loan. The necessary permits for construction were issued on December 15, 1903, and a year later the water tower was completed. Only a year and a half passed from the awarding of the tender to the completion of the tower, which, considering the construction possibilities and circumstances at the time, is a huge achievement in itself.
More interesting facts about the water tower in Szeged
As the iconic symbol of Szeged, the Old Lady is not only an architectural curiosity cast from reinforced concrete, but also a monument that pays tribute to those who shaped the cityscape of Szeged over the centuries.
From the front door to the 54.9 meter high flag pole, every detail of the Old Lady is magnificent.
Busts of seven famous architects can be seen around the tower. They were the ones who engraved their eternal memory in the heart of the cityscape, and whose influence is felt in the architectural image of Szeged to this day.
The water tower and the surrounding Szent István square were renovated in 2005-2006 with EU support.
Featured image: szeged.hu/István Kuklis
