Modern Technical Heritage: A Survey and Analysis of the Water Tank in Corigliano d’Otranto by Gaetano Minnucci

The subject of this paper is a technical-constructive analysis, aided by archive documents and critical redesign, of a building that should be recognized really important in the modern architectural heritage of Apulia: it is the Water Tank in Corigliano d’Otranto (1937–1938) by Gaetano Minnucci (1896–1980). This is an industrial building realized by the Acquedotto Pugliese for supply of water in the whole of the Salento area. The huge volume of water (22,000 metric cubic) is stored in a cylindrical-shaped building made up of remarkably thick masonry wall, consisting of several layers that fulfill many requirements: functional, structural, and environmental. The Water Tank is about 30 m high, with a diameter of 30 m length: its silhouette dominates the Salento plateau appearing today as a part of the landscape – as Castel del Monte, which has become part of the Murgia plateau over time. Integration with landscape also takes place thanks to the technical invention of the external masonry wall, made from blocks of artificial stone (a kind of concrete). The masonry wall is constituted rhythmically by a surface divided into concavities, evoking the picture of a colossal column. In this work, Minnucci has been able to interpret the characters of place through an innovative use of a prefabricated material. In addition, the Water Tank belongs to the Modern’s research on the technical building with new monumentality based on the relationship between construction and form, finding its theoretical roots in Germany between the two wars.