Torre de les Aigües del Besòs

In the old days, Poble Nou counted some 200 towers and smokestacks. Today, of the 28 that survive. The most striking is this 60m red brick tower designed by Modernista architect Pere Falqués in 1882, located near what was the mouth of the river Besòs.

Next to the tower is the Valve House, where two steam boilers (originally coal-fueled) supplied power to four vertical steam engines that operated the pumps. These were able to raise 12,000 cubic metres of water from the river to 40m and the same amount to 80m, the height of the second tank. Most of the equipment came from Glasgow.

The tower is yet another example of Catalan brickbuilding savvy. It had to be built to withstand the shaking caused by the rise and fall of the mechanically-pumped water driven and the weight and the constant movement of the water. The smooth interior surface was braced at different points on the top to absorb stresses. It was designed so that it was easy to clean.