Trans-en-Provence : Aerial well
VarReference
PA00081771
Latitude
43.50217201
Longitude
6.48189096
Address
200 Montée de la Cotte 83720 Trans-en-Provence
Construction era
2e quart 20e siècle
Protection date
1983/12/09 : inscrit MH
Protection cause
Puits aérien (cad. G 440) : inscription par arrêté du 9 décembre 1983
Description
This well, designed by the Belgian engineer Achille Knapen in 1931, was created to capture the humidity of the air by condensation. Its shape recalls that of a hive and is made of concrete with porphyry aggregates and a cement mortar. The surface is covered with a light mortar coating in which inclined slates are inserted, all surrounded by a masonry thickness of 2.50 meters. In the center of the structure is a vacuum of one meter in diameter, which constitutes the "aerial" well receiving condensation waters. This experimental structure was envisaged to be used in desert areas, but it is possible that it has never been functional.
