The Konin Pressure Tower, one of the city’s most iconic buildings, is undergoing a major renovation. The renovation work includes not only the renewal of the façade and replacement of the roof, but also the modernisation of the interior to make the place more accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities.
The Pressure Tower was built in 1924 to a design by engineer Stanislaw Zawadzki as a facility to support railway operations. It had two water tanks with a total capacity of 200 cubic metres. Similar towers were built at the stations of Biała Podlaska, Łódź Kaliska, Nasielsk, Pilawa, Radomsko, Sochaczew, Tłuszcz and Żyrardów. During the Second World War, the Konin tower was used by the Germans to store ammunition. Thanks to its solid reinforced concrete construction, it survived intact and was used by the PKP until the 1960s.
In the 1980s, it underwent its first major refurbishment, during which an internal staircase was built and the building gained a new function – it became an arts venue. In 1999, the tower was taken over by the Konin Centre for Culture and the Arts, which still organises numerous cultural events there, such as exhibitions, concerts and workshops.
One hundred years after its construction, the Pressure Tower has seen its second major renovation. The work, which began in 2023, includes refreshing the façade, replacing windows and doors and upgrading internal installations. One of the key elements is the installation of a lift, which will allow access to the upper floors for people with disabilities and parents with pushchairs. Until now, more than a hundred steps had to be climbed to get to the top of the tower, which was a barrier for many people.
Thanks to the renovation, the space will not only be refurbished, but also technologically modernised. It is planned to equip the interior with modern stage and acoustic systems, as well as new technologies to ensure safety, such as a fire alarm system and smoke removal in the stairwell. The space will also be enriched with an art studio and a rest area on the former mezzanine floor. During the works, the builders discovered three well-preserved historical elements. The developer does not rule out that these will be exposed in the future as an example of engineering from long ago.
The renovation of the Pressure Tower is expected to be completed in October 2025, with a total investment cost of around PLN 4 million. The funds for this were obtained from the local government of the Wielkopolska Voivodeship, which made it possible to start such extensive work. Once the modernisation is complete, the Pressure Tower will become an even more functional place that will be able to host art lovers for decades to come.
Source: ckis.konin.pl, lm.pl, konin. pl
Read also: Monument | Architecture in Poland | Metamorphosis | Konin | Renovation
