Old Wastewater Treatment Plant

Transcription

1 The Old Wastewater Treatment Plant Praha-Bubeneč 1906 Editor Šárka Jiroušková Texts Michal Dolejš, Jaroslav Jásek, Radko Kynčl, Petr Sýkora, Jiří Šejnoha, Tomáš Šenberger, Jiří Wanner Translation mike manning Photos Jiří Durdík, Jan Nebřenský, Pavel Vašek Historical photographs and plans Archiv Pražské vodovody a kanalizace, a. s. Editorial staff Jiřina Bulisová, Yvonna Fričová, Lucie Mertlíková, Šárka Zvejšková Graphic design and typesetting Carton Clan Printing INDIGOPRINT s. r. o. Published by TOVÁRNA o.p.s., management of industrial real estate Zelený pruh 821/33, Praha ISBN st edition, Prague 2017 Old Wastewater Treatment Plant Praha-Bubeneč 1906

2 This ERIH certificate from 2016 confirms the exceptional status of the Old wastewater treatment plant among monuments of European industrial heritage. The premises of the Old wastewater treatment plant in Prague-Bubeneč, including its machinery, were declared a national cultural monument in The transnational European Route of Industrial Heritage project (ERIH) uses tourists attraction to industrial sites with the aims of presenting their diversity and common roots and of strengthening their preservation and special protection. There are currently over 1,300 sites registered in 45 European countries, which are linked to regional and thematic routes. The backbone of this network is about ninety anchor points, virtual main routes, which are typologically the most important and interesting sites that tell the story of European industrial history. The Czech Republic is represented by the Plzeň (Pilsen Urquell) Brewery, the Ostrava Michal mine, Lower Area of Vítkovice, and the Old wastewater treatment plant in the Bubeneč quarter of Prague. This plant is the sole European representative of wastewater treatment technologies and is the starting point of the Czech regional network of water-related sites. Wastewater treatment forms a central part of the Lindley s grandiose New Prague Drains project from the years 1893 to The architectural level and technological composition along with the preserved original machinery represents a unique site in the European context. (From the explanatory memorandum to the Government Decree 50/2010, dated 9 February, 2010 on declaring certain cultural monuments to be national cultural monuments)

3 wastewater treatment 6 Chapter 1 When Prague began to solve the problem of water drainage in the mid-19th century, there were European countries that were more advanced, even though water purification just beginning there too.

4

5 manufacturing and architecture: history 10 Chapter 2 The Industrial era in architecture follows the history of the rise and development of European industry. Buildings for production purposes of various styles and qualities have been in use in our country since the early Middle Ages and are an inseparable guide to technical progress and prosperity, but also the social upheavals and wars of the last millennium. The advent of the Industrial Revolution first at the end of the 18th century in England and then in the early 19th century on the continent has changed the cultural, economic and technological level of companies. Initially, mainly the aristocracy started up new factories and the emerging bourgeoisie later did as well, manufacturing traditional as well as entirely new products. Due to its location and political situation, the Czech Lands automatically became participants in the development of industry in Central Europe, and thus the development of production-industrial buildings. In the second half of the 19th century, the Czech Lands were among the leading European countries in technological progress.

6

7 Když se v Praze začala v polovině 19. století řešit otázka odvodnění území, byly vyspělejší evropské země již mnohem dál, přestože i tam bylo čištění vody teprve na začátku. historically valuable machinery in the old wastewater treatment 14 plant Chapter 3 The preserved machinery in the old wastewater treatment plant represents a historically valuable collection of machines that attests to the high technological level of the mechanical piston and paddle machines and electric motors from the early 20th century. Engines provided a supply of mechanical energy used to drive the plant s machinery. There were the steam engines (and originally, even a water wheel, which was driven by the inflow of sewage) that provided mechanical energy for work-driven engines; after electrification, electric motors were used. These engines were divided into two categories according to their purpose. Industrial engines were used for the removal and transport of screenings and settled material gravel and sand, sludge disposal and water drainage, lime grinding and mixing chemicals. Auxiliary engines provided power for lighting, the ventilation of underground spaces and pumping floodwater.

8 16 17

9 construction history of the prague sewage system 18 Chapter 4