Château d'eau de Colmar, Gothic Revival water tower in Colmar, France.
The Château d'eau de Colmar is a water storage tower built in neogothic style, rising in the southern part of the city. The structure features pointed arch windows and refined carved details across its stone facade, reflecting its artistic ambitions.
Built between 1884 and 1886 by architect Victor Huen and engineer Heinrich Grüner, it responded to Colmar's growing population and need for modern water supply. This period saw important advances in urban water systems, which the tower demonstrates in practical form.
The tower takes its name from its original purpose of water distribution, yet today its striking form shapes how visitors see Colmar. You notice how this building has become part of the city's identity, showing how practical infrastructure can also be architecturally beautiful.
The tower sits south of the city center on Avenue Raymond-Poincaré and is easy to reach, with a public park surrounding it for shade and green space. It works well as a stop during a walk through the southern neighborhoods of Colmar.
After retiring from water supply, the building found a second life storing museum collections of natural history and ethnography from 1959 to 1985. This surprising reuse shows how Colmar adapted its historical structures for new purposes.
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