On the Stoki estate in Łódź, or rather underneath it, there is a place that resembles the interior of an age-old temple. These are actually massive water tanks from the 1930s and 1950s, also sometimes referred to as the Underground Cathedral, which will be reopened to the public this autumn. This is one of the city’s most unusual attractions, available only once every few years. How much will you have to pay to see the water tanks on the Stoki?
The water tanks on the Stoki in Lodz – a work of engineering and architecture
The Water Reservoirs on the Stoki in Lodz were built as part of a modern water supply system designed by English engineer William Heerlein Lindley. Their construction began in the 1930s and the first two structures were commissioned between 1935 and 1937, with the next ones built after the war, between 1949 and 1953. Due to their location at an altitude of approximately 260 m above sea level, the reservoirs act as a natural water tower. The difference in level between their surface and the lowest point of the water supply network in Lodz is almost 100 m, which allows water to be distributed by gravity.
Underground Cathedral in Łódź
Each of the tanks is square in shape with a side of 60 m. The vaults of the building are supported by 81 columns and the structure rests on a hundred domes. The repetitive rhythm of bricks, arches and supports creates an unusual space reminiscent of magnificent cathedrals. It is this effect that has earned the building its common name – the Underground Cathedral. The entire structure is designed to withstand the pressure of thousands of tonnes of water, with the arched vaults and walls evenly transmitting the pressure created.
Water tanks on the Stoki as the heart of Lodz’s water supply system
The reservoirs are supplied with water from deep wells in Lodz, Rokiciny and Bronislawów. Around 30 million cubic metres of water flow through them annually. In the event of a network failure, the supply stored at the Stoki would allow the entire city to be supplied for several hours, which is why the facility has remained a key element of the Lodz water supply system for over a century.
Visiting the reservoirs on the Stoki
The Underground Cathedral is opened to the public very rarely, every two or three years. This year’s edition will run from 6 to 26 October and will allow more than five thousand people to take a look inside one of the most interesting engineering monuments in Poland. The tour requires special safety rules to be met. Participants must arrive early, pass a security check and carry an identity document. It is forbidden to bring backpacks or bags. Only the inside of the tank may be photographed. The temperature inside is a constant 10 degrees Celsius, so it is advisable to wear warm clothes and shoes with non-slip soles.
Underground Cathedral in Łódź – tickets
Tickets, priced at £99, will be available from Wednesday, 10 September, from 12.00 exclusively through the Lodz Waterworks website. This is a unique opportunity to see a space full of the majesty of the finest architecture combined with the functionality of engineering thought, which for over a hundred years has been supplying the people of Łódź with their most precious resource – water.
Source: lodz.pl
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