Water Tower in Rancagua
by Mathias Klotz

The exterior of this water tower in Chile was designed by architect Mathias Klotz to ripple like a pond disturbed by gentle winds (photographs by Roland Halbe).

Located on the edge of a motorway in Rancagua, central Chile, the structure is one in a series of new water towers constructed to replace those damaged and destroyed during the 2010 earthquake.

Chilean architect Mathias Klotz was asked by water company Essbio to come up with a concept to make the towers more attractive without changing the original shapes, which have become recognisable landmarks.

An original proposal to transform the tower into a “large urchin” by surrounding it with wire was rejected due to safety concerns, so instead Klotz designed a system of metal panels that move with the wind.

“The idea was to produce a skin whose surface was altered by the wind so as to resemble the appearance of the surface of the water when the wind is changed,” explained the studio.

New lighting fixtures project out from the top of the structure, allowing the panels to reflect light after sundown.

Here’s a movie showing the facade in motion:

Other projects we’ve featured recently by Mathias Klotz include a renovated castle-like building in Santiago and a rural beach house designed for the architect’s mother. See more architecture by Mathias Klotz »

More interesting water towers on Dezeen include one in Spain shaped like the female form and a series of structures in Ireland documented by photographer Jamie Young.

See more photography by Roland Halbe on Dezeen, or on the photographer’s website.

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• Architecture