Water can be viewed endlessly, as sculptors and engineers have believed for centuries, combining the beauty of sculptural forms with the power of spray. Modern masters have added beauty to colors, water to fire, and pipes to strength
“Around the World” tells about remarkable fountains that can be found in different parts of the world.
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1. Swarovski Fountain
Wattens, Austria
The head of a green giant hangs over the entrance to the Swarovski Crystal Worlds Museum. In the evenings, the waterfall is illuminated by spotlights, creating the illusion that the stream is crystal. The eyes of the keeper of the treasures of the Alps burn with green fire – they are made of Swarovski crystals. The museum itself is located under a hill and consists of seven halls.
2. The Crown
Chicago, USA
Two 15-meter glass towers in Millennium Park, facing each other and separated by a drainage platform, are equipped with a million LEDs. The screens show a video of the changing faces of the townspeople. From time to time, the “faces” fold their lips into a tube and spew a stream of water. In the short intervals between images, water simply flows over the surface of the towers.
3. Moonlight Rainbow Fountain
Seoul, South Korea
On the sides of the Banpo Bridge across the Hangang River, rows of water jets are hit, illuminated by the colors of the rainbow. If you add up its two sides, you get 1140 meters – this is the longest fountain in the world, it is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. The water comes from the river, the jets are shot at a distance of up to 43 meters.
4. “Great Giving”
London, UK
An installation of six sculptures of people, as if embedded in blocks of volcanic rock, can be seen on the south bank of the Thames in front of the Royal Festival Hall. Statues in ridiculous poses exude water from their mouths, nostrils, armpits and more.
5. The Red Fountain
Swansea, Wales, UK
The fountain becomes unusual only for one week a year. In March, during the festival of St. David of Wales, the patron saint of Wales, the water of the fountain turns red, symbolizing the blood of the righteous.
6. The Vaiancourt Fountain
San Francisco, USA
The brutal structure of 12 meters high from square reinforced concrete pipes was designed by Canadian artist Armand Vaillantur in 1971, dedicating it to the Quebec independence movement. Many city governors criticized the “repulsive monster” and wanted to remove it, but the power of contemporary art won.
7. “Crane”
Menorca, Spain
An enormous red faucet hangs in the air off the picturesque beach of Santa Galdana. The secret of the design is simple: the flow of water hides a translucent pipe, on which, in fact, the faucet rests. There are similar fountains in Cadiz (Spain), Ypres (Belgium), Wisconsin (USA) and other places.
8. Ice Jam
Paris, France
Sculptor Charles Dodlein was inspired by the winter views of the St. Lawrence River in Canada. Bronze slabs protrude from the pavement of Boulevard Saint-Germain like broken blocks of ice.
9. The Fountain of Wealth
Singapore
The bronze structure in the form of a ring on four inclined supports symbolizes prosperity, unity and equality of all races and religions in the country. Water does not flow outside, but inside the ring, which, according to Feng Shui, contributes to the preservation of wealth.
10. Horace Dodge Fountain
Detroit, USA
The creation of the American-Japanese artist Isamu Noguchi is a stainless steel structure in the form of a ring on two legs and a round granite pool at the bottom. 300 jets can perform various “dances” under the light of 300 lanterns.
11. Big Wild Goose Pagoda Fountain
Xi'an, China
At 15,000 m² of area, water flows from 1024 outlets. This is one of the largest light and music fountains in the world. The program includes 22 numbers. You can walk between the vertical jets.
12. King Fahd Fountain
Saudi Arabia
The jet of this fountain hits 312 meters up (for comparison: the height of the Eiffel Tower is 324 meters along with the spire). At the same time, about 18 tons of Red Sea water is in the air. The base of the fountain is designed in the form of a crown with four teeth. 500 spotlights illuminate the work of engineering art.
13. “Dubai”
Dubai, UAE
The system of musical dancing fountains 275 meters long is located in an artificial lake. The fountain shoots water to a height of 152 meters, is illuminated by 6600 lights and 25 spotlights. The repertoire includes works of Arabic, classical and modern music.
14. “Duel”
Montreal, Canada
Every hour the composition becomes a decoration for a kind of performance: first, a jet of water over the sculptures forms a dome, then fog creeps from different sides to the fountain, natural gas begins to flow instead of water, it flares up and for seven minutes a fire burns around the sculptures.
15. “Pineapple”
Charleston, USA
Appetizing construction in the form of round slices of pineapple piled on top of each other decorates Waterfront, who won the American Society of Landscape Architects Award.
16. Bellagio
Las Vegas, USA
A light-musical fountain, the jets of which make various movements to classical melodies: they intertwine, line up and soar up sharply in a single wave. The fountain was the subject of the film Ocean's 11.
17. Volcano
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Built on a circular pier at the foot of the mountain. From the jagged round tower, water erupts like lava from a volcano. Orange LEDs are used to enhance the impression.
18. Mustangs
Irving, USA
Fountains beat from under the hooves of bronze horses, and it seems as if animals running on the water create these splashes. Mustangs symbolize Texan assertiveness, initiative and a free lifestyle. The composition, which received an award from the American Society of Landscape Architects, is considered the largest sculptural group of horses in the world.
19. “Charybdis”
Sunderland, UK
A large funnel-shaped fountain is located at the Seaham Hall hotel. Every 15 minutes, a whirlpool begins in the acrylic cylinder. The fountain is surrounded by a staircase in a semicircle, allowing you to look at the movement of water from above.
20. El Alamein
Sydney, Australia
Dandelion-shaped memorial fountain built in honor of the Australians who died in World War II in 1942 year in Egypt.
21. “The Boat”
Valencia, Spain
Boat sides and sail “painted » jets of water in the air. There are similar boat fountains in Israel and Portugal.
Photo: Diomedia (X8), Getty Images/Fotobank.com (X2), Rob Stradling (CC-BY), Stella Morotskaya, Shutterstock ( X8), www.williampye.com
Material published in the magazine “Vokrug sveta” No. 8, August 2014
Alex Gorsky