Źródła i studnie wody pitnej w krajobrazie kulturowym Warszawy

A number of historic wells and springs from which drinking water was drawn until the mid-20th century have survived in Warsaw. The development of the municipal water-pipe network at the end of the 19th century made them obsolete, resulting in their gradual transformation into monuments of material culture. The wells in which the mechanism for drawing water was destroyed have became "dead" architectural objects and are no longer perceived as springs. Their architecture and treatment of details are often very elaborate. The systematic decline of the quality of drinking water drawn from the Vistula River has resulted in the necessity to give the public an access to strategic deep wells and to drill new ones. The new wells, built very fast in order to deliver good quality drinking water to the population, are purely utilitarian structures lacking the architectural splendour typical of their historic counterparts. The activity of drawing drinking water from the well has become a social phenomenon in Warsaw. This can be perceived as a positive process as it creates and strengthens community ties so precious in a modern city. This process should be facilitated by thoughtful design of wells as public places to provide an attractive architectural framework for drawing drinking water. The new and historic wells should create a legible sequence of beautiful places, enhancing the city. Because of their special importance to communal life and public health these structures should be treated as the "holy graves" within the city's urban structure.