Places Around World
19. Chicago water tower
Built in 1869 to originally draw and store water from Lake Michigan, also regulating the flow in the city, the water tower of Chicago continues to be the second oldest water tower of the United States and the single standing building that survived the Great Chicago fire of 1871. At present, the tower is built like a castle and sits in a park located on the Magnificent Mile. It does not anymore transport and store water, instead, it serves as photo gallery for the Chicago office of Tourism. The gallery, known as the City Gallery in the Historic Water Tower features various local artworks of Chicago comprising all forms of media including photographs, sketches, artworks, et cetera.
The gothic revival structure, exquisitely beautiful, was built originally only to conceal the rather ugly pipe that stored water. This very fact is evidence to the intricately detailed importance that the city held for infrastructure and public welfare been back in the 19th century. However, not everybody embraced the architecture of the building. Oscar Wilde remarked it as “a castellated monstrosity with pepper boxes stuck all over it.” However, he did admire the machinery operating system embedded within. Lastly, the tower continues to inspire restaurants built in similar style. So if local art appreciation is part of your priorities, and if you are head over heels for gothic buildings, the Water Tower awaits your steps.
