Lighting of the Letná Water Tower in Prague

The visually optimal execution of lighting technology plays a significant role in the perception of architecture in the landscape or urban environment. A fundamental prerequisite for outdoor and indoor lighting is a thorough assessment of the characteristics of the light source, primarily its color and intensity, so that the final result appears understated and cultured. The stated criteria should adequately reflect the character of the building. This way, individual architectural elements, primarily columns, ornaments, sculptures, and other components, can stand out appropriately.

The lighting project for the water tower in Letná followed a complete two-year reconstruction of the building according to the design of the architectural office Petr Hájek ARCHITEKTI, which also included the conversion of the interior. Many atypical solutions were realized, such as a staircase with hidden lighting in the railing, a podium in the community hall where curved three-circuit lighting tracks are used, a clubroom illuminated by a central movable fixture, or an indirectly lit library. In the kindergarten, the integration of lighting into the upper edge of the partitions separating the technical and hygienic facilities from the changing room is noteworthy. An extraordinary feature of the reconstruction is the addition of a periscope to the chimney of the steam engine. The lighting concept employed MiniWoody, Glim Cube, Front Light, and Linealuce fixtures from the Italian manufacturer iGuzzini.

The less conspicuous heritage-protected complex near Letenské náměstí was created simultaneously with the water supply project for Hradčany, Bubeneč, and Dejvice. The builders of the waterworks were Karel Hübschmann and František Schlaffer according to the design by Jindřich Fialka in 1888. Typologically, it is a six-story prism building with a neo-Renaissance façade featuring a prominent arcade gallery with stone brackets. It is characterized by a tented roof with dormers and a columnar addition with a clock designed by Ludvík Hainz. The tower was decommissioned in 1913, and apartments for waterworks employees were established in the individual floors, which have been used since the 1960s for activities for children and youth, among others. Last year, the restoration of the entire complex was completed.

author Kryštof Havlice, PROPAMATKY.cz
photo Benedikt Markel