How many water towers have you seen that double as a giant barometer? Right here, in the middle of Shepherds Bush Roundabout, stands the Thames Water Tower. This futuristic 18-meter-tall glass structure is hard to miss. The tower was designed by architects Brookes Stacey Randall Fursdon and completed in 1994. The Thames Water Tower isn’t just a pretty face. It serves a critical function. The tower houses a steel core, one of the world’s largest barometers. It’s designed to forecast the weather by responding to changes in air pressure. You’ll know it’s working when the glass tower fills with blue water. But there’s more to the Thames Water Tower than meets the eye. It marks the top of a deep underground shaft that draws drinking water from the London Ring Main, an extensive water tunnel 30 meters below. The tower plays a crucial role in maintaining the smooth flow of water through the system. It helps to dissipate surge pressures by allowing water into the pipe when the flow in the London Ring Main changes. In extreme cases, it even overflows from the top, cascading into a chamber below before draining into a nearby sewer. The Thames Water Tower is a testament to innovative engineering and design.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to