{"id":162097,"date":"2025-06-06T05:08:12","date_gmt":"2025-06-06T05:08:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/162097\/"},"modified":"2025-06-06T05:08:12","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T05:08:12","slug":"this-19th-century-uk-water-tower-is-now-a-striking-3-7m-seaside-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/162097\/","title":{"rendered":"This 19th-Century UK Water Tower Is Now a Striking $3.7M Seaside Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tA Victorian-era water tower overlooking England<\/a>\u2018s Suffolk coast has been reimagined as one of the most unusual residential listings to hit the market this year\u2014a 72-foot-tall, seven-story home with 360-degree views and a serious architectural backstory.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tLocated on a desirable road in the charming seaside town of Aldeburgh, the Grade II-listed brick structure was originally built in 1870. By the time former pharmacist Emad Borno bought the yellow brick white elephant at auction in 2007, the tower was just a shell, with no services, no easy access, and no planning permissions. What followed was a decade-long conversion that turned the industrial relic into a one-of-a-kind six-bedroom, five-bathroom residence with just over 4,000 square feet of living space.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tThe transformation, completed in 2017 by Essex-based firm Abacus Build, carefully balances historic and contemporary elements. The original iron pillars and exposed bits of red brick remain intact, but they\u2019re now paired with modern comforts like underfloor heating, bookmatched marble bathrooms, and custom-built cabinetry. \u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tRELATED: <\/strong>This $21 Million Converted Firehouse in N.Y.C.\u2019s West Village Has a Jazz Club in the Basement<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"the<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tThe top-floor studio space includes a kitchenette and open views over the landscape.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Creative Aspect Ltd; Savills<\/p>\n

\n\tThe eat-in kitchen is a standout space, with handmade granite worktops on teal Shaker-style cabinets, a full suite of integrated appliances, and a 10-person dining table fashioned from a section of the original water tank, which was crafted by the same engineering firm behind artist Maggi Hambling\u2019s \u201cScallop<\/a>\u201d sculpture nearby.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tDespite its vertical layout, the design is surprisingly livable: two en suite bedrooms sit on the ground floor, while both an oak staircase and an elevator connect the upper levels. There\u2019s a formal drawing room on the second floor, a top-floor studio with a kitchenette, and finally, on the uppermost level, a glazed pavilion with sliding glass doors that spill onto the rooftop terrace that overlooks the sea, the River Alde, and the rooftops of Aldeburgh.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tRELATED: <\/strong>How a Former Hollywood Exec Turned a Derelict Italian Villa Into a Stunning Home<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"the<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tThe spacious eat-in kitchen showcases a custom dining table crafted from the tower\u2019s original water tank.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Creative Aspect Ltd; Savills<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThe history runs through the redbrick walls and iron pillars,\u201d said Borno\u2019s daughter, Zahra Akkerhuys. \u201cSitting at the top of the\u00a0tower\u00a0watching the sunset\u2014far above the treetops\u2014is really magical.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tNow on the market with Savills for \u00a32.75 million (about\u00a0$3.7 million<\/a>), the Water Tower joins an intriguing list of industrial structures that have been reimagined as high-design homes. To wit: eight defunct grain silos in North Yorkshire that were transformed into a sleek,\u00a0$5.7 million<\/a>\u00a0solar-powered country retreat. Whether municipal or agricultural, these types of adaptive reuse projects are proving that with enough vision\u2014and the patience to go through the planning approvals\u2014no building is too utilitarian to become a striking residence.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tClick here<\/a> to see more photos of English home. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"water<\/p>\n

\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Creative Aspect Ltd; Savills<\/p>\n

\tAuthors<\/p>\n