In Forest Lake, Minnesota, a young woman on her afternoon walk takes out her phone to film.
Unfortunately, she tells her viewers, today is not the day.
It’s not an alien spaceship, it’s a water tower.
And so for now, she’s staying on planet earth.
It’s not just Minnesota that has a structure which looks like a flying saucer on stilts.
Dubbed “the UFO” by scores of locals, the cylindrical tank of the Menzieshill water tower in Dundee has loomed large over the community since the 1960s.
If it had appeared overnight, many people would have been convinced they were being visited by aliens.
The iconic local structure has gone on to inspire a wide range of art, music, and stories, ever since it started to take shape at Yarrow Terrace in 1962.
Construction started on the Menzieshill water tower in 1961, to provide water for the new Menzieshill and Charleston housing estates.
At 84 feet high, the 160,000-gallon concrete tower has become a familiar landmark in the north-west of the city.
Designed by the Corporation Water Department, the tower was designed to provide water for 1,750 houses, where around 6,000 people would live.
Although not a new phenomenon, with similar hydro-electric projects having been opened since the 1950s, Menzieshill was completely unique in its structure.
It is supported by 10 large columns which splay outwards and contrast distinctly with the structure of the other, smaller water towers in the area.
Similar to other water towers, however, Menzieshill was built on high ground to ensure the correct amount of water pressure could be maintained.
Some £45,000 later, the water tower was finally opened by the Lord Provost in 1963.
At the time, John F. Kennedy was the US president, Sir Alex Ferguson was a striker for St Johnstone and man was still six years from setting foot on the moon.
It began service in the same year as current Lord Provost, and Dundee’s longest-serving councillor, Ian Borthwick, took office.
Mr Borthwick recalled: “I remember it going up.
“My understanding was that it was built to improve the water pressure in the area.
“The water being pumped up to the tower increased the pressure and provided a better service to nearby homes.”
Despite its unusual design, Mr Borthwick said he can’t remember any shock, outrage or dissent about the way it looked.
He said: “It was certainly an unusual-looking building at the time, but I don’t remember anyone having a problem with it.
“As time went on, the area became more built-up and it became less noticeable — but it is still a prominent feature in the area.”
Source of inspiration
The tower also continues to inspire.
It took centre stage at the University of Dundee’s Art, Design and Architecture show in May 2016, which focused on local landmarks.
The water tower was reconstructed by student Ashley Wallace in a project where she envisaged a redeveloped Menzieshill.
She said: “After researching the current needs of the community, I have chosen to base my design on the site of Menzieshill’s water tower, iconic and familiar to users of the space.
“Built in 1963, this landmark is central to my design and provides the community with the familiarity that they need in a time where all their old, but loved buildings are being knocked down and replaced.”
Most recently it inspired a track on local musician Andrew Wasylyk’s Themes for Buildings and Spaces.
The tower is also used by mobile phone companies as a site for phone masts — the telecoms equipment is visible at the top of the tower today.
It’s not just artists who have been inspired by water towers; there are several Facebook groups dedicated to discussing water towers’ history, and design features.
The coming together of so many enthusiasts of these grand structures led to the development of the British Water Tower Appreciation Society (BWTAS), where lovers of local water towers can be kept up to date on events, openings, and related content.
More like this:
A Trip Back in Time: Menzieshill
Is the truth out there? Check our interactive map of historic UFO sightings in Tayside and Fife
