Wasserbehälter Hackenberg, Water reservoir in Döbling, Austria
The Hackenberg water reservoir is a storage structure with Neo-Romanesque and Secessionist elements located on a hilltop in Döbling that stores water for the city. The construction uses granite and features rounded-arch arcades that lead to the valve chamber.
The structure was built as part of Vienna's Second High Spring Water Pipeline between 1908 and 1910. Its opening was a major event attended by Emperor Franz Joseph I.
The building demonstrates how Vienna's engineers around 1900 designed water storage facilities to look important: the granite facade with its rounded arches suggests that something valuable is protected inside.
The location sits on a hillside and is reachable on foot from central Döbling, though the approach involves some uphill walking. The best view of the building comes from outside since it is a protected structure.
During construction a double-track inclined lift transported all materials up the 61-meter slope from Krottenbachstrasse. This creative solution shows how engineers solved a significant challenge at the time.
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