Shukhov tower in Polibino, Hyperboloid water tower in Polibino, Russia.
The Shukhov tower in Polibino is a steel structure that rises roughly 37 meters tall with a continuous lattice pattern forming its hyperboloid shape. The framework consists of curved steel ribs that create an open gridwork, making the tower appear light yet structurally sound.
Vladimir Shukhov designed this tower in 1896 and first built it for the All-Russia Exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod. After the exhibition ended, it was dismantled and relocated to the Polibino estate in the 1910s, where it has remained.
The tower sits within the Nechaev-Maltsov estate complex, where it forms part of a grouping with historic gardens and a manor. Its presence shows how cutting-edge engineering became woven into the fabric of rural Russian life during the industrial era.
The tower functions as a water storage structure and is located on an estate with several other historic buildings, so visiting is limited to the grounds. It makes sense to spend time walking through the gardens and to visit during daylight hours so you can see all the details of the construction.
This was the first hyperboloid structure ever built from steel, and its innovative gridshell design later inspired hundreds of similar constructions around the world. The fact that it was originally conceived as a temporary exhibition piece makes its durability and continued function particularly noteworthy.
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