Fountains of Rome. Fountain complex on Lenin Square. Jet d'Eau Fountain, Geneva, Switzerland
According to a familiar philosophical statement, water is one of those few things that you can look at endlessly. In almost any, more or less major city world, you can find fountains: ordinary, without any pretentious elements or a real architectural miracle. Today we will talk about the ten most unusual fountains in the world.
1. Fountain-waterfall "Pearl Divers", UAE, Dubai. This unusual fountain is in the middle of a huge shopping center Dubai Mall in the United Arab Emirates. It consists of two high waterfall, from the top of which, figures of pearl divers jump down. Each of the waterfalls has a cylindrical structure with a diameter of thirty meters. These waterfalls permeate all four levels of the mall vertically and have overall height- twenty-four meters. The fountain appeared in the shopping center not at the time of its opening in 2008, but only a year later, becoming an interesting place for relaxation, meditation and meetings for visitors to this shopping and entertainment establishment in Dubai. This building is permeated with symbolism that not everyone can understand without knowing the history of the United Arab Emirates. For the Arabs, water is sacred in any of its manifestations, and this is understandable: they live in the middle of the desert. The palm trees that are displayed at the waterfall fountain are a symbol paradise oasis. The fiberglass figurines of pearl divers are a reminder that pearls were an important source of wealth: they were caught in the waters of the Persian Gulf. The creators of the waterfall fountain decided that in the daytime it would be lit by natural light. sunlight passing through the atrium and windows, in the dark, it will be illuminated by a special color-changing lighting.
2. Fountain "Boat", Spain, Valencia. On beautiful square Playa de la Malvarosa, Spanish Mediterranean resort city of Valencia, there is a very unusual fountain "Fuente del Barco de Agua", imitating a boat with a sail, and the hull itself, and the boat, and the sail, are created by water jets. In terms of execution, this fountain is quite simple: metal frame rods are welded together in the shape of a sailboat, thus creating a shape. Many tiny holes were made in these tubes, water jets come out of them under pressure. Thus, water complements the architectural composition. This fountain-sailboat is especially beautiful in the evening and at night: in the evening, because it is especially romantic in the rays of the setting sun, and at night, because the lit backlight gives the impression that the boat is drifting on the sea surface, sparkling with lights.
3. Fountain "Crane hanging in the air", Spain, Cadiz. in spanish resort town In Cadiz, you can see an interesting fountain, made in the form of a golden kitchen tap, which seems to be hanging in the air and water is pouring from it. Of course, the "magic" crane is optical illusion: it does not hang in the air, just in the stream of water pouring out of this faucet, a transparent water pipe is hidden, on which this faucet rests, but due to the high pressure of the water it is completely invisible. And tourists who see this fountain for the first time are wildly delighted. But this cunning idea has already been repeated in some other cities of the world, creating “miracle fountains” similar to this.
4. Fountain "Montjuic", Spain, Barcelona. Spanish magical light musical fountain located on picturesque hill Montjuic in the city of Barcelona was built in 1929, under the guidance of engineer Carles Bungas, for the opening of the World Exhibition "Fire and the Universe", held in. It was conceived in such a way that the amazing visual show will become a real "miracle" for the participants of the event. After the end of the exhibition, soon began in Spain civil war which interrupted the joy of the people of Barcelona and the work of this wonderful technical invention. And only by the fifties of the last century, the Montjuic fountain was restored. In those days, the fountain had numerous jets that merged into various whimsical figures, and illuminated with a simple backlight. And already in the early eighties, engineers added musical accompaniment - works by the classics Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky. Before the 1992 Olympics, held in Barcelona, the fountain was completely refurbished, modernized and improved technically. Today, the magical fountain "Montjuic" or "The Singing Fountain of Barcelona" is a real technological masterpiece: it has five powerful pumps that drive the artesian drinking water, in the amount of twenty-six tons every second, and releasing three thousand six hundred and twenty water jets, fifty meters high. As for the musical accompaniment, the repertoire of this fountain has seven thousand melodies, from classic masterpieces to modern hits of the world stage. This Barcelona attraction attracts up to two and a half million viewers a year with its twenty-minute water-music show followed by a ten-minute break followed by a magical light and music show. The fountain itself covers an area of three thousand square meters and is located at the foot of National Museum arts of Catalonia.
5. Fountain "Swarovski", Austria, Innsbruck. This amazing imagination artwork- a fountain in the form of a green human head, located in the Swarovski Crystal Worlds technology park, in the Austrian city of Innsbruck. The fountain, in the form of the head of a green giant, whose eyes are made of green crystals, is an unusual entrance to the headquarters and the Swarovski Museum, located underground. From the mouth of this head falls powerful waterfall. The building was erected in 1995 and timed to coincide with the opening of the Swarovski Crystal Museum in Innsbruck. Leading designers, sculptors and architects of the world took part in the development and construction of an amazing and unusual fountain, and they managed to embody the best architectural solutions and fantastic ideas in their brainchild.
6. Stravinsky Fountain, France, Paris. The fountain was built in 1983 on the square of the composer Igor Stravinsky in Paris, under the direction of the architect Jean Tinguely. This square is located in the heart, not far from the palace and historic island Cité, next to the Center Pompidou. The fountain has an unusual design: its shallow pool is a place where sixteen unusual mobile bright figures are placed, which move to the rhythms of music from the famous works of Stravinsky, periodically overthrowing water. The Stravinsky Fountain has become a kind of monument to the musical genius, a native of Russia, who moved to Paris before the start of the First World War. This fountain is also known as the Tangley Fountain.
7. Volcano Fountain, UAE, Abu Dhabi. This unusual fountain, at first glance, strikes with the originality of its idea and the amazing embodiment of architectural thought. In appearance, this is a volcano, and from its crater, “lava” periodically splashes out - water illuminated by orange light. This architectural marvel has already become a real hallmark of the UAE. And the fountain is especially impressive at night: it is then, when the backlight is lit, that a surprisingly plausible effect of lava eruption is created.
8. Fountain "Pineapple", USA, Charleston. This pineapple-shaped fountain is located in Waterfront Park in the state South Carolina. Moreover, this architectural work has repeatedly been awarded the awards of the American Society of Landscape Architects, as well as the National Trust for Historical Preservation. You ask: was the choice of fruit random or is there a subtext here? Yes, pineapple is not an accident! When American settlers first discovered this mysterious fruit in local territories and tasted that it was really very sweet, tasty and nutritious, prices for it skyrocketed and only very financially wealthy people, such as planters or aristocrats, could afford to taste it. . Since then, pineapple has traditionally become a symbol of wealth and prosperity, although it is already available at its price to everyone. The Pineapple fountain is also a kind of symbol of the prosperity of this land.
9. Fountain "The Great Cascade of Peterhof". It is often said about the Russian Peterhof that it is a “city of fountains”, and this is true: there are a lot of underground springs on those lands, so the water to the fountains does not even need to be pumped up with pumps. The magnificent fountain complexes of Peterhof have long been recognized as the most exquisite in the world, and the idea of their creation came to the mind of Emperor Peter the Great, who decided that they should be spread out on the shore Gulf of Finland. The Peterhof Grand Cascade is a series of fountains connected by a single concept of the architect. It was built in the eighteenth century, in tribute to the memory of Russia's grandiose victory in the Northern War. The cascade has three staircases of waterfalls, seventy-five dizzying fountains, two magnificent grottoes, twenty-nine elegant bas-reliefs, two hundred and fifty-five wonderful bronze sculptures. The length of the facade of this fountain is forty-two meters. Such pompous design is the personification of the sea power of Russia. Palace and park ensemble, erected by Peter the Great back in 1710, has been perfectly preserved to this day, and for good reason, it is called “Russian Versailles” by foreigners, including due to its magnificent fountains, which are in no way inferior to French ones.
10. Fountain-monument "Alexander the Great", Macedonia, Skopje. On the largest and main square the capital of the Republic of Macedonia - the city of Skopje, there is an amazing equestrian monument to Alexander the Great, it is called "Warrior on Horseback" and is a bronze sculpture of the famous commander, whose height is fourteen and a half meters, it is located on a large concrete pedestal. At the foot of this pedestal are eight sculptures of soldiers of the Macedonian phalanx, they are surrounded by a bronze fountain with four lions, also made of bronze. This monument was inaugurated on September 8, 2011, in honor of the twentieth anniversary of the independence of Macedonia. This memorial fountain is incredibly important for every Macedonian and is a symbol of national pride.
Fountains are architectural compositions that bring a piece of joy and a sense of celebration into our lives, it’s good to arrange meetings here, sit and think alone, come in the company of like-minded people, take wonderful photos. We hope that the ten most unusual and amazing fountains in the world that we have listed will be an excellent incentive to travel around the countries where they are located.
Fountains are another reason to come to the Northern capital. Fountains of St. Petersburg belong to different historical eras and events, they give strong positive emotions, make you feel the power and beauty of water.
Story
Park art began in the era of Peter I. In 1705, the city was built by masters invited from Europe. The European trend of that time - park and fountain ensembles - influenced architectural appearance future capital.
The first fountains appeared in the Summer Garden. There were about sixty of them, each representing an Aesop fable. Nearby stood a pillar, which described its interpretation. Until now, they have not been preserved, they were destroyed by the floods of 1777 and 1824.
In the 18th century, fountains began to appear in wealthy noble estates.
The history of fountains began in St. Petersburg
In the 19th century, interest in them resumed. Construction moved to yards, squares, gazebos.
In the last century, most of the cultural monuments were abandoned, only since 1996, the reconstruction of old and the construction of new fountains in St. Petersburg began.
fountain season
The opening of the St. Petersburg season traditionally begins in the spring. Fountains turn on in mid-April.
Interesting! In the 2018 season, 52 St. Petersburg fountains and 4 complexes are operating.
Among them are monuments of culture and art:
- "Samson" and "Big Cascade" in Peterhof;
- "Crown" and "Pyramid" of the Summer Garden;
- drinking fountain "Aquarius" at the Kazan Cathedral;
- fountain in the Alexander Garden.
Modern buildings:
- singing fountains in St. Petersburg on Lenin Square;
- "Ball" on Malaya Sadovaya;
- "Omega".
Peterhof
Museum-reserve Peterhof brought northern capital world fame.
Museum reserve
The first fountains started working in 1721 in honor of the opening of a new country residence of Peter.
During the Second World War, some of the fountains were destroyed. There was little time left to prepare for the evacuation. The Nazis entered Peterhof already on September 23, 1941. Many sculptures were taken out, the rest were hidden under the palace or buried in the ground.
Currently, the complex consists of 4 cascades and 173 fountains.
The Grand Cascade is one of the largest fountain structures in the world. It constitutes one architectural complex with the palace, coincides with it in width, consists of 60 fountains. It is decorated with 225 gilded bronze, lead and marble sculptures. During the holidays, he becomes part of the costume performances.
The central element of the cascade is "Samson tearing the lion's mouth". This is a three-meter statue-fountain, rising high up to 21 m. It depicts a mighty young man tearing the grinning mouth of the beast, from which a column of water escapes. The composition was installed in 1734 on the anniversary of the celebration of the Battle of Poltava.
Three Samsons have changed over the history of the Museum-Reserve. The first - cast from lead by the sculptor Bartolomeo Carlo Rastrelli in 1735, lost its luster over time, in 1802 it was replaced with bronze. This statue was lost during the years of occupation. In 1947, on the basis of archival data and photographs, it was restored.
The ceremonial launch of the Grand Cascade and the Samson Fountain takes place daily at 11:00 am to the anthem of St. Petersburg.
Samson is located in lower park Peterhof
- 10:00 to 18:00 Monday - Saturday;
- Sundays and holidays from 10:00 to 19:00.
How much are the tickets
Note! The autumn holiday, which is called "The Closing of the Fountains" will be held on September 21 and 22. But the fountains will work until October 14, 2018.
Summer garden
The Crown Fountain is located next to the entrance to the Summer Garden from the side of the Champ de Mars. It was one of the first structures built at the beginning of the 18th century. Many jets of water form a crown-like composition. Its shape gave it its name. The "Koronny" pool is made of white marble.
Summer garden
Destroyed by a flood in 1777, "Koronny" was restored at the beginning of the 21st century during a large-scale reconstruction of the park ensemble based on materials archaeological sites. Among the recreated objects were the Pyramid and Octahedral fountains.
Address: Kutuzov embankment, 2.
Fountains in the center of St. Petersburg
In the very center of St. Petersburg, opposite the Admiralty in the Alexander Garden, there is a fountain of the 19th century. The construction was a hydrotechnical masterpiece of that time.
Petersburgers say that there are fountains in St. Petersburg that make wishes come true.
The one opposite the Admiralty is one of them. You need to stand with your back to the water, make a wish and throw a coin into the fountain and then immediately leave without turning around.
The granite fountain-drinker "Aquarius" near the Kazan Cathedral is an architectural monument of the early 19th century. It was installed on the way to Tsarskoe Selo for watering horses. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was moved to Leningrad, to Voronikhinsky Square, opposite the entrance to the Kazan Cathedral. Every spring, Aquarius is the first to open the fountain season.
"Aquarius" opens a new season
Modern fountain complexes
The complex on Lenin Square near the Finland Station is equipped with light and music. The fountains are placed in 20 bowls, which are illuminated in different colors and move to the beat of the music. The show is interesting to watch in the evening.
During public holidays fountains accompany theatrical performances.
In static mode, the complex operates daily from 10 am to 11 pm.
Fountains begin to "dance":
- on weekdays at 12:00, 21:40;
- on weekends and holidays 12:00, 20:00, 21:00, 21:40.
The program lasts 20-25 minutes.
Important! In the 2018 season, the second light and music complex on Moskovskaya Square is closed for repairs.
Ball fountain
A smooth stone ball weighing more than 700 kg rotates freely, just lightly touch it with your hand. Strong water jets support its heavy weight.
The ball fountain is a copy of a copper ball created by M. V. Lomonosov during the reign of Catherine II. By changing the direction of rotation every hour, it showed the time of day.
Address: corner of Malaya Sadovaya and Nevsky Prospekt.
Omega
"Omega": night illumination
The fountain is made in the form of the Greek letter "omega". It is inclined at an angle of 45 degrees, the water flows in a circle, forming a water curtain. The height of the structure is 7 meters, the diameter of the ring is 13. The presentation of the structure took place in 2006.
Address: Pesochnaya embankment, 40.
Every summer, millions of tourists come to St. Petersburg - a city where amazing fountains are located. Guests of the city get acquainted with the architecture of palaces, the splendor of park and fountain complexes, throw coins into the fountains of St. Petersburg and come back again.
Fountains amaze the imagination with a beautiful play of two powerful elements - air and water.
In addition to the famous fountains of Peterhof, there are many other interesting fountains. We have collected information about a wide variety of fountains in the city - from the constructions of Peter the Great to modern water structures. Unique attractions are located in different parts of St. Petersburg. Each of them is unique and beautiful in its own way. But all of them serve as real decorations for the great city on the Neva.
The Grand Cascade is one of the largest fountain ensembles in the world, with over 60 fountains and over 250 statues and reliefs. This is a brilliant monument of baroque art. The cascade is unique in its size and expressiveness, abundant and powerful water system, richness of sculptural decoration, graphic variety of water cannons. Modern look the cascade took shape over a century.
The main jet of the fountain shoots up 21 meters from a sculptural group placed on a massive rock in the Grand Cascade basin. The composition impresses with its power and beauty of the main sculpture, which depicts Samson, who entered into combat with a lion. The prototype of the composition is the engraving “To Sampson of Russia, the roaring Lion of Svea gloriously tore to pieces”, dedicated to the Battle of Poltava.
Address: Petrodvorets, st. Adjustable, d 2.
Fountain complex on Lenin Square
On September 22, 2005, the grand opening of the renovated Lenin Square took place, central location on which the fountain complex occupies.
Fountain complex on Lenin Square consists of 20 separate bowls. The fountains are equipped with lighting and musical accompaniment. From the Finlyandsky railway station there are two octagonal bowls and one rectangular bowl. A large bowl is installed in the center, from which about 500 jets beat, equipped with four-color illumination and eight cascades. It is in this bowl that beautiful lights are created. music shows. The musical work for the fountain complex was written by the St. Petersburg composer Sergei Banevich - and it consists of 13 parts (“Leningrad Front. Confrontation”, “Dream Ship” and others). The fountain complex is flanked by eight rectangular bowls on each side.
Address: pl. Lenin.
Fountain "Omega"
The hi-tech fountain symbolizes the latest trends in urban planning - unity, integrity of space, conciseness and creativity. The building is called the word "Omega" - this is the name of the last letter of the Greek alphabet.
The fountain in the shape of the letter "Omega" was inaugurated in 2006. The unique architectural and water facility is located opposite the Omega House residential complex. The seven-meter building is tilted at an angle of 45 degrees. From the building jets of water escape, which fall into a bowl-pedestal with a diameter of 13 meters.
At night, the fountain is illuminated by spotlights installed directly under the frame. This gives the fountain a special charming look.
The author of the Omega fountain is the chief landscape architect of St. Petersburg Larisa Kanunnikova-Domracheva. Some elements of the building are also decorated with the letter "Omega": canopies over the entrance to the entrance, benches and even trash cans.
Address: Pesochnaya embankment, 40.
Fountain complex on Moscow square
On the largest square in Europe there is a new modern fountain complex. It consists of 11 fountains that operate both in static and in light and music modes. Light and music shows on Moscow Square are beautiful music, high jets dancing to the beat of sounds, and lighting play. Musical evening shows"singing fountains" fills the atmosphere with the magic of the water element and decorates the darkening city.
The grand opening of the singing fountains on Moscow Square (about 13 hectares) took place in 2006. The fountains are open during the summer.
Address: Moscow square.
The fountain impresses with the original shape of the pool, made of snow-white marble, and beautiful tiers of thin streams of water.
Fountain "Crown" in the Summer Garden
The Crown Fountain is located in front of the former entrance to the Summer Garden - from the Champ de Mars side. Nowadays, the fountain is decorated with gilded mascarons, modeled on the mascarons found in the Summer Garden in the 1960s (the items are currently deposited in State Museum-Reserve"Peterhof"). This is a multi-jet fountain, which forms a crown-like composition from water jets. The pool of the fountain is made of white marble. The composition of the fountain is favorably complemented by the landscaped lawn surrounding it.
The "crown" fountain was designed by architect Mikhail Zemtsov in 1725. During the flood of 1777, the fountain was destroyed, and in 1786 it was covered up. The fountain was restored already in 2010-2011 on the basis of iconographic materials and materials from archaeological excavations.
Address: St. Petersburg, Summer Garden.
"Dancing" fountain near Gostiny Dvor in Kronstadt
One of the few "dancing" fountains in St. Petersburg is located in the port city of Kronstadt. The fountain was installed in honor of the 300th anniversary of the city in the square near Gostiny Dvor and became one of the most beautiful light and musical compositions in St. Petersburg.
The extensive pool of the fountain (220 sq. m.) is lined with granite. A bowl is installed in the pool, repeating with its contours the Kronshlot Fort of Peter the Great. Herself water system fountain created by modern technologies using solenoid valves. Thanks to this, a unique moving pattern of water jets is formed. Water streams dance continuously, changing the height of the movement. Due to beautiful music and lighting, unique shows are created that captivate with their beauty and spectacle (especially in the evening).
Address: Kronstadt, Lenin Ave., 16.
The seven-tiered fountain "Pyramid" in the Lower Park of Peterhof reaches 8 meters in height. This is a sparkling obelisk made of water jets, made in the shape of a pyramid. The base of the fountain-pyramid is a granite pedestal with three steps, through which water flows into a shallow bypass channel (encircling the entire ensemble). The bypass pool is surrounded by a marble balustrade decorated with vases.
The water obelisk in the form of a pyramid was conceived as a monument to the victory of the Russian people in the centuries-old struggle for the independence of their cultural heritage.
Address: Petrodvorets, st. Adjustable, d 2.
Fountain "Glory" in the Moscow Victory Park
In the Moscow Victory Park there is a fountain with speaking name"Glory". The fountain crowns the Alley of Heroes with bronze busts of Leningraders - heroes of the Soviet Union.
In a round granite bowl, decorated with wreaths of laurel and tulips, there are 12 water cannons, from which jets of water go in different directions, and the central jet goes up, rising up to 12 meters. In the center of the bowl is a granite tulip, from which a powerful jet of water also beats.
According to the design concept of the fountain, the main stream shows the desire for life, and the jets of water along the edge of the bowl bow before the feat of the Soviet people.
The opening of the park and the fountain took place on October 7, 1945, in honor of the Great Victory of the USSR over Nazi Germany. The park was designed by the architect E. Katonin and his student V. Kirkhoglani. The park is conceived as a hymn to life, and as a story about the exploits during the war, taking into account the traditions of domestic gardening art.
Address: Moscow Victory Park.
Fountains in the porter garden of Smolny
In a picturesque park Smolny Cathedral there are four identical fountains. They are made in the form of large round bowls, from which jets of water shoot up. Two bowls are located on one side of the Smolny Cathedral, they are separated by a large flower bed, two exactly the same fountains are placed on the opposite side.
The fountains were launched in 1934 and since then tirelessly adorn the architecture and landscape of the park.
Address: parterre garden of Smolny.
Fountain "Dandelion" in Zelenogorsk
The picturesque fountain in the shape of a dandelion, located in the square on Lenina Avenue in Zelenogorsk, is very popular with local residents and guest of the city. The spherical design of the fountain with many tubes resembles a fluffy flower - round, standing on a long stem. Jets of water pour from the fluff tubes and flow into the pool. The fountain creates a feeling of lightness and airiness, and on hot days it refreshes the surrounding area.
In the evening, the backlight turns on, due to which the composition becomes even more spectacular and interesting. The grand opening of the fountain took place in the summer of 2011.
Note that the Dandelion Fountain is also located at the Yubileiny JCC and in Strelna. All of them serve as an unusual decoration for the surrounding territories and are favorite places for walking the townspeople.
Address: Zelenogorsk, Lenin Ave., 15.
The Lion Cascade is one of the most significant fountain structures of the mid-19th century in Russia. It is made in the style of late classicism, due to which it stands out from the rest of the buildings of the Peterhof ensemble. The unique architectural and fountain composition consists of a pool, a colonnade (14 granite columns), 12 marble bowls, sculptures of lions and a statue of the Nymph Aganipa.
Address: Petrodvorets, st. Adjustable, d 2.
Fountain in the Alexander Garden opposite the Admiralty
The fountain has become one of the most grandiose structures among fountains in the 19th century. Nowadays, the fountain still pleases numerous citizens and tourists walking along the alleys of the Alexander Garden.
The fountain consists of many water jets, beating high up. The basin of the fountain is a bowl of granular granite, installed opposite the entrance to the Main Admiralty and Gorokhovaya Street.
The first draft of the fountain was made by the architect I. Merz in 1872, but it needed to be redone. N. Benois took up the revision of the project in 1875. The architect A. Geshvend also joined the development of the new project, who finalized the details and drawings.
Work on the installation of this structure was entrusted to the merchant E.F. Ovchinnikov. In 1876, the construction of this fountain began on the site that had been left especially for it when planning the garden. The fountain was launched on October 13, 1879. The opening of a beautiful water facility in the Alexander Garden was a solemn spectacle.
The cascade was built according to the plan of Peter I, following the example of the cascade in the residence of the King of France. At the top of the cascade is a grotto surrounded by three figures of dragons, from whose mouths jets of water escape. On both sides of the cascade, stairs are built, decorated with white stone statues. Water flows down four ledges (black-and-white, "checkerboard" plateaus) into a round pool.
Address: Petrodvorets, st. Adjustable, d 2.
