From Industrial to Atypical

With panoramic views over the Mekong River and its affluents, the iconic Koh Norea bridge, Water Tower by maadest, the suite with rooftop and private pool, has been created within the existing structure. Only the base has been strenghtened by pouring 1 cubic meter of concrete in the ground around each one of the four iron legs.

By repurposing the architectural frame and using recycled materials, the cost of this transition from industrial to atypical, including workforce, has been 50% less than building it from scratch.

The initial water tower was part of the Koh Pich urbanization plan developed since 2007 by OCIC building company and Phnom Penh City authorities. After the marshes were drained, the building teams did not have tap water as the island had not been yet connected to the city water supply system.

Comparing Google Earth screenshots by date, Chamnan Pichbormey from MAADS Creations Studio found out that the water tower was built at some point between January and May 2012. It had been in disuse since around 2019.

To our knowledge, this is the first and only instance worldwide to repurpose a metal water tower into a tropical living space while keeping the "water" part as a plunge pool, both for recreational purpose and for the cooling effect on the suite below. Projects of converting brick-and-mortar water towers in other countries were contemplated, apparently without completion so far.

The original 3-meter high steel tank was cut-split in 2, the upper sides bent down to become the deck surrounding the 1,2-meter deep pool and leaving enough space to build the suite below. All metal surfaces were given an anticorrosive coating, topped with fiberglass and resin, and finished with decorative paint after a design by Cambodian artist Srey Latt.

In addition to an enjoyable swim up in the sky, the 30-cubic-meter private pool provides a cooling effect directly to the glass-faced suite, reducing AC consumption.

Water Tower Facts & Figures

• Height (ground to top) : 12.52 m
• Height (ground to 1st level suite) : 7.00 m
• Pool size : 4.48 x 4.48 m (20.07 sqm) | Depth : 1,2 m
• Deck and Pool size : 7.7 x 7.7 m (59.29 sqm)
• Suite size, external : 4.47 x 4.47 m (19.98 sqm) | internal : 4.31 x 4.31 m (18.57 sqm)
• Suite height, floor to first beam : 3.80 m | floor to pool bottom : 4.17 m
• Living room size : 4.31 x 3.32 m (14.30 sqm)
• Sleeping area : 4.31 x 2.21 m (9.52 sqm)

Water Tower factsheet

"Steel has been for two centuries the vector of the 'industrial aesthetics', remarked Alexis de Suremain, MAADS co-founder and the mastermind behind the Water Tower project; "light, versatile, reliable, it also brings in a creative potential wider than concrete, stone or wood. And it beautifully fits in repurposed architecture solutions, especially when we are looking for atypical units that make complete sense in the urban context."

Accordingly, all the existing steel beams have found a new purpose in the revamped water tower, with outdoor and indoor stairways added for comfort. Even the indoor doors are made of embossed metal sheets.

As for the suite walls, glass seemed to be the right material for a space mostly defined by the surrounding views and a distinctive aerial feeling. The whole face with river view has been done in glass, as well as two-third of the other faces. And here again, recycling was the motto: the project designers came with the idea of gluing side by side 360 x 15 cm strips of toughened glass found at Aquation Office Park warehouse nearby, initially used to reinforce large glass panes as perpendicular support large glass panes.

The solution resulted to be not only eco- but also user-friendly, since the composite panes are less subject to vibrations than large sheets of glass. More than a detail, when you consider the location of the water, close to the Koh Norea bridge and its substantial road traffic.