Water Tower Utrecht

The design carefully balances heritage and new interventions. In the lower floors, three identical studio apartments retain the raw character of the original brickwork and timber or concrete beams, with large folding steel-and-Corten-framed openings introducing a new layer of history to the facade.

Higher up, within the former reservoir, the sequence of spaces becomes increasingly open. A hanging staircase leads through incisions in the steel vessel, connecting guest rooms, a flexible presentation space, and finally the main bedroom with a loggia framing views of the Dutch Cathedral tower.

At the top, a kitchen and living room open onto panoramic windows beneath the original steel and timber roof truss. Materials such as rusted steel, concrete floors, white walls and walnut detailing tie the transformation together, giving the tower both an industrial edge and a domestic warmth.