The 46-meter-high structure in Zabrze is one of the most historically valuable water towers in Poland. Eight brick columns support a dome-shaped tank with a capacity of 2,000 m3. The tower was decommissioned in 1993 and then left to decay for almost a quarter of a century. Finally, the city acquired the building from its private owners to transform it into a new branch of the Coal Mining Museum. The integrated residential and office spaces are a special feature of the structure. They look like tiny tenements squatting between the supports of the brick colossus. This is where the workers of the waterworks once lived.
New insulation with Multipor
"In order to adapt the tower to its new use, the brick walls first had to be provided with thermal insulation. Since this is a historic building, this could only be done from the inside. We offered our Multipor boards for this purpose. They are completely vapor-permeable and non-combustible, thus providing the necessary safety for the users. The local restorers had already had good experience with our technology during the thermal modernization of the bathrooms and engine room of the former Duchess Louise of Prussia Mine," says Marek Brodnicki, investment consultant at Xella Polska in Upper Silesia.
Before the modernization, a heat and moisture analysis of the walls was first carried out. Finally, Multipor boards with a thickness of 16 cm were chosen. The decision in favor of Multipor was based not only on the technology's excellent thermal insulation properties, but also on the fact that the boards are easy to install and can be easily cut to fit complex wall shapes.
Opening up new possibilities
Construction work in the tower was completed at the end of 2021. A new glass pylon with elevator and staircase was added to the brick building during this process. A multimedia exhibition entitled "Carboneum" is currently being installed in the dome, dedicated to the chemical element carbon and its use by humans. Social use is planned for the lower floors, including a meeting place for senior citizens. The building is scheduled to open in mid-2022.