Paleontology Museum in a Water Tower

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Paleontology Museum in a Water Tower

Firm

Rokot Studio

Type

Cultural › Cultural Center Museum Observation Tower

STATUS

Concept

SIZE

3000 sqft - 5000 sqft

This project transforms a water tower into a private paleontological museum and a local public space. The museum showcases a collection of paleontological finds from a nearby limestone quarry.

Situated on the outskirts of the city in a quiet, undeveloped area, the tower is complemented by a small public garden, designed to welcome and guide visitors.

The tower’s interior, though modest in size, possesses a striking aesthetic. The original reservoir, a concrete cylinder resting on an openwork concrete vault, remains visible, preserving the character of the space. To maintain this quality, the evacuation staircase is housed in a separate volume behind the tower, creating a three-part composition: public garden — tower — staircase.

Inside, a self-supporting structure organizes the museum’s interior. It defines the first-floor open-plan exhibition space, forms a bypass gallery on the second floor for temporary or permanent exhibitions, and accommodates a restroom and a heating unit with storage. The first floor serves as both exhibition space and public hub, adaptable for expanded exhibits, film screenings, lectures, discussions, or other events. On the third floor, fossilized ammonites, trilobites, brachiopods, and fish teeth are displayed within the concrete cylinder of the former tank.

Magnifying glasses allow visitors to explore the smaller exhibits, emphasizing their relief and texture. Artificial lighting is carefully directed at the displays, while natural light filters in through narrow openings in the concrete cylinder. The interior evokes the ancient sea, its depths illuminated by shafts of sunlight breaking through the water column.