Vodovodni stolp (in Slovene language) or Water tower is one of the most prominent buildings in my hometown Kranj, Slovenia. Its location is 46°14’54.1″N 14°21’35.6″E. When it was build, it was positioned well outside the borders of the town, however, as the town grew, a new neighbourhood built around the tower was renamed after it.
The Water tower was designed by Jan Vladimir Hrasky, (1857–1939), a Chech engineer, hydrologist and builder who was also a lecturer at the Prague’s Technical Faculty. The building of the Water tower began in 1908, and finished 3 years in 1911. When the tower was built, it was considered as one of the most impressive and magnificent water supply buildings in the area. It provided water supply for the town of Kranj and 15 neighbouring villages. This is one of the oldest picture of the tower I could find online (unknown author, source).
The Water tower is 34 m high, and is today one of the most prominent attractions in Kranj. At the top of the tower is an octagonal two-chamber water reservoir with a capacity of 250 m3. The tower was used to provide water pressure for facilities in Kranj and its surroundings. Today, the Water tower is still functional and is part of the water supply network. It provides pressure to the surrounding buildings and serves as a discharger for equalizing water pressure. Today, the Water tower presents a specific cultural monument of local importance, mostly due to its authenticity, age, historical value, technical qualities, and conservations. In addition, when the town was expanded to the north, the newly built neighbourhood was named after its hallmark. Since 2006 the tower is opened to the general public one day a year, and the visitors can enjoy the view from the observational deck. The picture of the tower taken by Panoramio user Brkne in 2008. It still looks as it did in the black and white picture, however, the town has expanded far around the tower.
The LEGO model I made is about 20 cm in height and has 411 parts.
A view from the side reveals a symmetrical shape of the tower.
The top with the water reservoir and an observational deck was the most challenging part. Specifically, I had a problem building the safety fence. I chose a simple string with studs, and the final solution was the third one I tried. I’m not completely satisfied (it doesn’t look safe enough for potential visitors), but I cannot think of a better one.