Over long time exist, the Hang Dau water tower can not avoid the sometimes to rise and fall. Sometimes forgotten in sleazy, at the time to be converted sleazy to public bar but good luck rather today it was dignified and serious poise on the past, as he Hercules, David, like gladiators where the old Roman arena. Now, although no functional water storage and water supply, but there is a new environment: to exist as a witness, an evidence of a slave and independence, oppression and liberation.
Located right on the border between the two district deep spirituality Ba Dinh and Hoan Kiem is busy selling, the focal point of six streets spread out like a huge fan of the cloth named Phan Dinh Phung, Hang Cot, Hang Giay, Hang Dau, Hang Than and Quan Thanh , at the top of them bunched, automatically form a small square access to a garden named Van Xuan, which prior to 1975, also called Hang Dau. Here arises a structures have remarkable longevity: 116 years, squeezed through the third century XIX, XX, XXI.
That Hang Dau water tower, also brought more name again reflects that the public sympathy give like: Hang Dau water tank , Quan Thanh water estrade, Quan Thanh round the house and special is a funny mistake Hang Dau small post – the name does not unfairly so because the outside appearance looks the same building materials and blue-gray color plus 54 the window is very narrow and high-y as the loophole where the old colonial spin full inner suburbs of Hanoi and surrounding areas.
Hang Dau water tower-cylinder, high 25 meters on the roof pointed with lightning rod rise to the blue sky, as showing facade the rubble and cement and steel rod. Another stone taken from the demolition of the Citadel, the colonial government and then through the hands of a woman with name is Tu Hong collection that should be. Apparently this stone is also used in other large projects are not far away: Long Bien bridge (formerly known as Paul Doumer) and the system viaduct Phung Hung Street. The bridge of 19 span over Red River and the system sounds like a viaduct that time (born Hang Dau water tower next 8 years) was honored as the longest in Asia.
To avoid hard feelings by the material causing the cement rubble, the designers also tried to cover the work surface with measures to create aesthetic shape: the arch windows, the tissue- bending iron decorative motifs, layered valances lines, rounded square shapes galaxies century serial run around in the median level of relief.
Especially in the first floor, outside the 17 window, also a gateway to the second gate is decorated two solutions used in the familiar buildings in the country, in the country (France) and on world this time.
Solution using surround forehead into a door and repeat rhythm constantly running around a block layer architecture combining a column supporting the system as a pillar form old Greek: dorique column (this column is the simple in three formats: dorique, ionique and corinthien). Dorique columns are only used where a first floor and the top of our platform as well as for the repeated arc window, is the endpoint of the arc of the window and stops for a small span of the system span running around the perimeter of the project.
From level 2 to 4 penthouse, the dorique column only dividers for vertical construction, the column width of columns is equivalent to a higher level one, but with progressively thinner sheets stratified perimeter edges create a local tissue as they make up for declining to ease shade.
End whole solution designed decorative , where the 4th floor penthouse, the designer has to run a road fringing around 18 combination of galaxy century: square, circle next to each other and just to finish repeated sharp carving eventually be used where first floor.
Hang Dau water tower still stands, had seen many scenes life: welcome Liberation Army through Long Bien bridge, take off the last soldier to climb on Long Bien bridge from train to Hai Phong return Marseille, witnessed the bomb flush it down around, the area array rockets everywhere, falling down the roof.
But not any more glorious, valiant David the heroic days with troops into remote parade in Ba Dinh square, where the team is strengthened, the top militiawomen’s clothes black, brown coat the rifle put over the shoulder gathered at his feet.
And then, the Lunar New Year, each group of cars, station wagon pulled from the bridge, from the streets, how many goods containing Tet, all types, all colors, sizes beans around here waiting into the Hang Luoc flower market .
Red horses, white horses remove chains to the chew corn kernels, hoof of horse knock the concrete. Do not think that animals do not know anything. They are also eager to brush back the rough stone hallow, appealing eyes to wait boss to enter the street wait peach flowers and New Year fireworks.
In the unhurried surface, the David water tower was to hide the upset feeling inside the deep stone wall, eyes looking at groups with enough the ages, all kinds of costume jewelry. They know very eagerly, but no one forgot the presence of the young knight from the land of holy war is distant, stood up to share joys and sorrows with them.
There seems the old Sau trees in Phan Dinh Phung street, milk flowers in Quan Thanh street still sympathize with Hang Dau water tower by branches swaying body, so as to offer to share the joy that was spread around us.
Oh, in this realm of impermanence, beauty does not need to look at more, even in rough sand stone.
Just a clear mind, wisdom, Eden in the your heart, just within reach of us that sometimes we have to get up the building in search of something that was sure to find.
