posted Wed, 5/26/10 9:45 AM

Castle in the Sky is a water tower concept for Latina, Italy that goes above and beyond just storing water for the city. Dreamed up by Atelier Ramdam Architects out of Paris, France, this heavenly design includes public garden space, a sky deck and an incredible mechanism that vaporizes water to create the tower’s very own rain!

The slender water tower sits in a below grade reservoir full of incoming water. The tower’s shaft is coated in highly reflective metal in order to “disappear” as it rises up into the sky, where it meets the water storage tank and the sky deck and gardens. Public access is achieved through an elevator in the shaft and the sky deck can be used for festivities, parties or just viewing the city.

At the bottom of the tower is a large landscaped public park which also acts to filter rain and storm water into the reservoir. Water is pumped up into the tank to irrigate the sky gardens, and as moisture builds up in the air around the tower it is expected to precipitate onto the park underneath. The bit about making rain seems somewhat questionable, but the concept seems interesting and could help cool the city.

+ Atelier Ramdam Architects

VIA: INHABITAT