The Podensac water tower, built in 1917, is the first building realised in France by Le Corbusier, then still Charles-Édouard Jeanneret. Constructed in reinforced concrete for François Thévenot, a supplier of materials during the First World War, the tower is an early testament to the architect’s experimentation with modern techniques. Thirteen years later, the town’s water syndicate acquired the structure, decommissioned its tank in the 1940s, and built a second, larger water tower nearby.
With its hydraulic function obsolete, the building changed hands again in 1987, when the Groupe des Cinq, an association of Bordeaux-based architects, purchased it. This acquisition marked a new chapter, highlighting the tower’s heritage significance and its role as Le Corbusier’s first French work. The proposed interventions aim to respect the building’s integrity while deepening our understanding of its current condition and architectural value.
The project focuses exclusively on the restoration of the building’s exterior envelope and roof, as well as its interior spaces. It therefore involves the repair and conservation of the built fabric and intervention within the internal volumes, while respecting the defining characteristics of the existing structure. Through this work, the aim is to ensure the building’s preservation and to stabilise its constituent elements without altering its original function or introducing any additional programme.
The Podensac water tower, built in 1917, is the first building realised in France by Le Corbusier, then still Charles-Édouard Jeanneret. Constructed in reinforced concrete for François Thévenot, a supplier of materials during the First World War, the tower is an early testament to the architect’s experimentation with modern techniques. Thirteen years later, the town’s water syndicate acquired the structure, decommissioned its tank in the 1940s, and built a second, larger water tower nearby.
With its hydraulic function obsolete, the building changed hands again in 1987, when the Groupe des Cinq, an association of Bordeaux-based architects, purchased it. This acquisition marked a new chapter, highlighting the tower’s heritage significance and its role as Le Corbusier’s first French work. The proposed interventions aim to respect the building’s integrity while deepening our understanding of its current condition and architectural value.
The project focuses exclusively on the restoration of the building’s exterior envelope and roof, as well as its interior spaces. It therefore involves the repair and conservation of the built fabric and intervention within the internal volumes, while respecting the defining characteristics of the existing structure. Through this work, the aim is to ensure the building’s preservation and to stabilise its constituent elements without altering its original function or introducing any additional programme.
Atelier Ergon, structure
