The Hàng Đậu water tower opens its doors to visitors for the first time.

The Hàng Đậu Water Tower has been transformed into an artistic space by a group of architects and artists, opening for visitors for the first time from November 17 to December 31.​

The Hàng Đậu Water Tower, an architectural work nearly 130 years old, is located at the intersection of the old streets Hàng Than, Hàng Lược, Hàng Giấy, Hàng Đậu, Quán Thánh, and Phan Đình Phùng street (Hoàn Kiếm district). The design team, including architect Cao Thế Anh, artist Nguyễn Đức Phương, and their associates, drew inspiration from Eastern philosophy to create this structure into an artistic space through two key installation systems.

The sound installation reproduces the sounds of water in nature, while the light installation expands the visual perception of artifacts recycled from urban waste. Through this, the authors aim to convey to the public the role of water in life, the connection between humans and nature, as well as the impact of urbanization on the environment.


Perspective photo of the Hàng Đậu Water Tower. Photo: Organizing Committee

The art installation displayed at the Hàng Đậu Water Tower is one of the activities within the framework of the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2023 (from November 17 to December 31). Besides this location, the group of architects and artists also introduced artistic spaces at historical sites and monuments such as the Gia Lâm locomotive factory, Hanoi station, Long Biên station, and Long Biên bridge during the festival.

The Hàng Đậu Water Tower was built in 1894 and is one of the old architectural works of Hanoi constructed by the French. Along with the Yên Phụ water plant, the tower was built to provide clean water for the residents. Water from the plant was pumped up to the two towers to be distributed through pipes throughout the city.

According to historian Dương Trung Quốc, the French established the two water towers at Hàng Đậu and Đồn Thủy (at the end of Đinh Công Tráng street) to supply water to the Old Quarter, where European officials and soldiers concentrated, along with the residential area of the 36 old streets.

The tower is made of stone blocks, cylindrical, with a diameter of 19 meters and three stories high, topped with a conical roof with a lightning rod in the center. It features a gigantic steel water tank with a capacity of 1,250 m3, resting atop 8 stone walls, with a system of pipes leading up and down that includes iron valves. The tower has been renovated several times, yet it still retains its original state, although the 17 windows on the first floor have been sealed.