Water Tower in Rancagua by Mathias Klotz
The exterior of this water tower in Chile was designed by architect Mathias Klotz to ripple like a pond disturbed by gentle winds (photographs by Roland Halbe).
![Water Tower in Rancagua by Mathias Klotz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/09/dezeen_Water-Tower-in-Rancagua-by-Mathias-Klotz_2.jpg)
Located on the edge of a motorway in Rancagua, central Chile, the structure is one in a series of new water towers constructed to replace those damaged and destroyed during the 2010 earthquake.
Chilean architect Mathias Klotz was asked by water company Essbio to come up with a concept to make the towers more attractive without changing the original shapes, which have become recognisable landmarks.
![Water Tower in Rancagua by Mathias Klotz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/09/dezeen_Water-Tower-in-Rancagua-by-Mathias-Klotz_1.jpg)
An original proposal to transform the tower into a "large urchin" by surrounding it with wire was rejected due to safety concerns, so instead Klotz designed a system of metal panels that move with the wind.
"The idea was to produce a skin whose surface was altered by the wind so as to resemble the appearance of the surface of the water when the wind is changed," explained the studio.
![Water Tower in Rancagua by Mathias Klotz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/09/dezeen_Water-Tower-in-Rancagua-by-Mathias-Klotz_3.jpg)
New lighting fixtures project out from the top of the structure, allowing the panels to reflect light after sundown.
Here's a movie showing the facade in motion:
Other projects we've featured recently by Mathias Klotz include a renovated castle-like building in Santiago and a rural beach house designed for the architect's mother. See more architecture by Mathias Klotz »
![Water Tower in Rancagua by Mathias Klotz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/09/dezeen_Water-Tower-in-Rancagua-by-Mathias-Klotz_4.gif)
More interesting water towers on Dezeen include one in Spain shaped like the female form and a series of structures in Ireland documented by photographer Jamie Young.
![Water Tower in Rancagua by Mathias Klotz](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/09/dezeen_Water-Tower-in-Rancagua-by-Mathias-Klotz_5.gif)
See more photography by Roland Halbe on Dezeen, or on the photographer's website.