The Teplice water tower in Nová Ves is one of the most fascinating technical structures in the city. Between 1987 and 1989, a 63-metre-high tower was built to supply water to a newly planned residential district intended for more than 20,000 inhabitants. The water was to come from the Fláje Reservoir in the Ore Mountains.
Thanks to the volume of its tanks, it is the largest tower-type water reservoir in the Czech Republic — its two tanks can hold a total of 6,000 m³ of water, making it a dominant and, to this day, unmatched technical landmark of its kind.
The water tower was designed by Rudolf Zlobický, a native of Kroměříž. His professional path eventually led him to Teplice, where he devoted himself primarily to the design of water-management structures. He considered the Teplice water tower to be his most significant work.
After November 1989, however, there was a fundamental change of plans. Construction of the housing estate was halted, as was the planned demolition of villages whose inhabitants were to move to the new district. Although the water tower was completed, it never began to fulfil its original purpose. Somewhat tongue-in-cheek, its author still regards it as his own monument — not least because, despite never serving its intended function, it has become an unmistakable landmark of the city. To this day, various proposals for the further use of this striking structure continue to emerge, but none has yet been realised.
