Aquarius Wassermuseum

The “Styrumer Wasserturm” (water tower) was built in 1892/93 by August Thyssen to supply the nearby strip steel works with water.
It was shut down in 1982. The RWW then established the Aquarius Wassermuseum in the now listed structure, and an award-winning multimedia museum with 30 stations on 14 levels developed.
In 1871, Kommanditgesellschaft (limited partnership) "Thyssen und Compagnie, Styrum" started production in a roller mill.
However, it soon became apparent that the City of Mülheim’s waterworks could not provide a sufficient water supply for this mill.
In 1893, at the River Ruhr August Thyssen erected two piston-pumping boiler wells. Shortly after, he built the water tower as we know it today, which a bit later not only supplied the mill but also Styrum.
In 1912, Thyssen sold the Styrum waterworks. The new owners, Rheinisch-Westfälische Wasserwerksgesellschaft, thereby acquired the supply area and maintained the basins, pumps and the tower.
After the old Styrum watertower had been shut down in 1982, the RWW asked themselves what to do with the now listed industrial monument.
The Aquarius Wassermuseum, opened in 1992, is the impressive result of these considerations and commitment shown by a water supply company. The RWW wants to raise the ecological awareness regarding water - and waters - and in a shut down reservoir thus created a reservoir of knowledge about water. The Aquarius is an award-winning multimedia museum with 30 stations on 14 levels. The world of water is opened by a magnetic card, key to a number of pertinent computer simulations, films and games.

Author: Route Industriekultur/ Editorial baukunst-nrw
Last changed on 07.11.2023

Categories:
Architecture » Public Buildings » Cultural (cinemas, theatres, museums)