The fountain is an integral part of urban art. In many parks, as well as in the squares, you can find a water composition. This may be the simplest jet of water that shoots up, but often the fountain impresses with the originality of its shape. Below are descriptions, photos, names of unusual fountains in the world.
Boat, Valencia, Spain
A stunning composition is located on one of the squares in Spain. In the common people, the fountain is called the "boat", the original name is Fuente del Barco de Agua. At first glance (when the fountain is turned off) this is a plain metal frame, which is absolutely nothing. But as soon as the jets of water run, the vacationers see a boat sailing through the sea. It looks especially beautiful in the rays of the rising or setting sun and at night with the backlight turned on. Many tourists want to take a picture against the background of such a romantic fountain, as well as make a wish by throwing a coin.
Magic Faucet, Cadiz, Spain
Another famousfountain in Spain is located in the city of Cadiz. Designed by French sculptor Philip Till, this crane attracts many tourists from all over the world. In fact, the idea of such sculptures with water is simple and, at the same time, brilliant. The composition rests on a metal base, which is hidden from the viewer by a powerful stream of water, which creates the illusion of floating in the air. Now there are a lot of similar unusual fountains (photo in the article) around the world, but it is the “Magic Crane” in Cadiz that attracts the attention of residents from all over the world. And despite the fact that the "secret" of soaring has long been revealed, the spectacle is a delight for both children and adults.
Las Colinas Mustangs, Texas, USA
There is hardly a person in the world who does not know this sculptural composition. Nine powerful mustangs run, raising splashes of water, among the skyscrapers of Texas. The horses are molded in a size that exceeds their actual parameters by one and a half times. The idea of the composition is to show the strength, power and wildness of the state of Texas. Sculptor Robert Glen created about fifty mini-mustangs before finally deciding what his wild horses would be. The idea of the fountain was born in 1976, but it was installed in 1984. Bronze figures were cast in England. The water part of the fountain was designed by the SWA Group and won the Landscape Architects Award.
Moon Rainbow, Seoul, South Korea
In 2008, in order to attract tourists to South Korea, the usualBanpo Bridge in Seoul was turned into a real fountain. Along its entire length (and this is almost 1.5 kilometers), on both sides of the roadway, almost 200 tons of water is poured into the river from a variety of special sprayers. Somewhere exactly, and somewhere at an angle, simultaneously and in turn to the beat of the sounding music, water jets beat in both directions. The spectacle is truly a masterpiece. The fountain works around the clock, but at night, thanks to special lighting, it looks especially beautiful. I would like to note that the fountain does not cause any discomfort to vehicles moving along the bridge.
Singing and dancing fountains, Dubai, UAE
The world's largest singing and dancing fountains are located near the Dubai Mall. The creator is the WET Design group, which also designed the famous fountain in front of the hotel in Las Vegas. Singing fountains are located in a huge artificially created lake with an area of 12 hectares. This is a whole complex of fountains, which simultaneously raises about 100 tons of water into the air. The jets hit a height of about 150 meters, although during testing they raised the water twice as high. Special cannons “shoot” so high, which during the whole show accumulate water, and only splash it up a few times. Music is heard from specially installed speakers, which is not repeated during the day. The repertoire of these unusual fountains of the world (photo in the article) includes about 20 compositions. The show is shown several times a day, so it's hard to miss it. At night, the fountain complex is illuminated by more than 6,000 spotlights. Knowledgeable people advisewatch the dance of water both in the light and in the dark.
God the Father on the Rainbow, Stockholm, Sweden
Initially, this sculptural composition, located in a quiet harbor, was designed by the then famous sculptor Carl Milles. It was supposed that the fountain would take its place in the square near the UN, but this did not happen. Later, a student of Milles, Marshall Fredericks, nevertheless brought the fountain to life, placing it where it is now. The sculpture is a half of a rainbow, from which a large jet of water flows right into the water surface, and above God the Father hangs stars in the sky.
Trevi Fountain, Rome, Italy
The famous De Trevi Fountain in Rome is the largest fountain in Italy. It adjoins the Palazzo Poli, which makes it seem even larger and more impressive. It took 30 years to build this architectural ensemble. Initially, the famous sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini took up the project, but the death of the Pope interrupted his work. Further, in 1700, Bernini's work was continued by his student Carlo Fontana. It was he who placed Neptune with servants in the center of the composition, but death interrupted his plans. And then a competition was announced among the masters of that time for the right to finish the work. The winner was Nicola Salvi, and it is he who is considered the creator of Trevi.
One of the most unusual fountains in the world is made in the Baroque style. In the center is Neptune, who emerged from the water on his chariot drawn by sea horses and tritons. On one side of him stands the goddess of abundance, on the other -goddess of he alth. Above the goddesses are bas-reliefs showing scenes of the discovery of a source of water and the construction of an aqueduct. Thousands of tourists who come to see the famous fountain every day traditionally throw coins with their backs turned to it. Depending on the desired, the number of coins may vary. Every year they bring about 1.5 million euros to the Italian treasury.
Unisphere, New York, USA
The Unisphere Fountain was created by Gilmour Clark for the world exhibition, which was held in the middle of the twentieth century in New York. The compositional ensemble is a metal frame of the Earth, surrounded by 96 twin fountains. According to Gilmour, she symbolizes "peace through understanding." The image of the Earth is quite heavy - about 400 tons, made of stainless steel. In addition to Gilmour, several companies took part in the implementation of his idea, developing a plan for the pool and investing their own funds.
Fountain of We alth, Suntec City, Singapore
This unique fountain is located in the middle of a huge commercial complex in the city of Singapore. The complex itself is built according to all the laws of Feng Shui, and the fountain is a kind of addition designed to ensure the success of commercial activities. The Fountain of We alth is one of the largest man-made fountains in the world. Its area is more than 1.5 thousand kilometers, and the height is equal to a standard three-story building.
This unusual fountain consists of two bronze rings: a large and a small one. Building thisgrandiose building was also carried out according to the rules of feng shui, and symbolizes we alth, prosperity, prosperity, harmony. In the center of the ring, jets of water beat, symbolizing a prosperous course of life. The small ring represents the universe and the unity of all life. The material of which the composition is composed, according to Buddhist beliefs, attracts financial well-being.
Several times a day, the big fountain is turned off, and visitors are invited to look at the small ring. Tourists are allowed in small groups to avoid crowds. At night, the fountain is also illuminated.
Grand Cascade, Peterhof, Russia
Perhaps the most famous fountain complex of Peterhof can be called the "Big Cascade". This is one of the largest compositions of fountains in the world, which has no analogues in terms of water volume, as well as the richness of design. The “Grand Cascade” was conceived and built under Peter I in order to show the power of the Russian state and emphasize the conquest of access to the B altic Sea.
More than one sculptor worked on the creation of the "Grand Cascade", and even after the grand opening, the work continued, the complex was supplemented with new figures. In total, there are currently 255 of them. The original appearance of the fountain differs from that which a tourist can see today: the sculptures were repeatedly destroyed and later restored by restorers. During the Second World War, everything that they did not have time to take out and hide was destroyed. Only thanks to the colossal work of restorersand residents of the city fountain exists today. During the entire period of its existence, certain restoration work has been carried out: for example, the most famous element of the fountain complex - “Samson tearing apart the mouth of a lion” - was completed and installed three times.
In fact, you can list the best and most unusual fountains in the world endlessly - they are in every country. It is possible that some very interesting water structures have not yet become so famous that they are written and talked about, but this will definitely happen. Yes, and human capabilities are growing every year. Therefore, the list of the most unusual fountains in the world will be constantly modified and supplemented.
