The Delft water tower, which was constructed in 1896, is a part of the water tower complex consisting of the water tower, the pump house and the water basin. The entire complex is located on the site of the former municipal cemetery (1829-1874), which today is called the Kalverbos and is a part of Delft’s protected city scape.
Because the water supply for Delft was not functioning all too well in 1894, the municipality started to research whether it was possible to build a “second” water tower that would be situated closer to the city of Delft. In may 1894, the Delft city council meets to discuss the construction of a third boiler in Monster and a water tower in Delft and reserves f62,000 especially for this purpose. The city architect M.A.C. Hartman is commissioned to design the new water tower by NV Delftsche Duinwaterleiding Maatschappij in 1895. As a site, they decide to opt for a plot north of the Haagpoort, which is now known as the Kalverbos. It is a suitable location, because the former earthen stronghold lies higher than the area surrounding it, is close to the city and the municipality are the owners of the plot. The cemetery which used to be there from 1829 onwards was closed in 1874 and thus also wouldn’t be a problem.
Hartman draws an ornate, twenty-nine-metre tower in neo-Holland Renaissance style featuring decorative brickwork and a crenellated roof terrace. A romantic beacon for the city which is also highly functional. The substructure of the brick tower tapers so that an iron reservoir can be placed on top to provide sufficient water pressure. The reservoir is to hold 600 m3 of water. To support this considerable weight, an Intzet reservoir is used, named after its inventor: the German professor Intze. The reservoir has a double-curved bottom, designed with the convex side up and resting on the masonry tower shaft.
In December 1895, the reservoir was ‘tested’ by filling it with 600 tonnes of water. The reservoir passes the test and in the spring of 1896, the construction of the water tower was completed. Guided tours are organised on Thursday 30 April and Friday 1 May for anyone interested. All major Dutch newspapers (Telegraaf, De Tijd, Het Vaderland, Rotterdamsch Nieuwsblad) pay a visit and are immediately in awe. In 1921, it is decided to stop using dune water from Monster, and switch to water extracted from the Maas in Rotterdam. Later, in 1972 when two 3,000 m3 waterbasins were constructed in Wippolder in 1972, the tower no longer serves as a basin and merely is used to regulate the water pressure.
In 1996, the water tower ceases to function entirely. Water for inhabitants of Delft is now sourced from the Evides water plant. In 2007, the inside of the water tower is completely renovated following a design by Rocha Tombal architects and is assigned a new function. It becomes a meditation centre. In 2020, the water tower changes hands and art center RADIUS opens its doors in the pump house and the waterbasin as of May 2022, using the water tower as an office and as a place to host educational and public programmes.
