This page will contain additional articles about fountain, as they become available.

Fountain

For other uses, see Fountain (disambiguation). Three traditional fountain features: a low jet, a pair of raised basins, and sculpture with a water theme, here hippocamps (Villa Borghese Gardens, Rome)

A traditional fountain is an arrangement where water issues from a source (Latin fons), fills a basin of some kind, and is drained away. Fountains may be wall fountains or free-standing. In fountains sheets of water may flow over varied surfaces of stone, concrete or metal. Basins may overflow from one into another, or the overflow may imitate a natural cascade. Many fountains are located in small, artificial ornamental ponds, basins and formal garden pools, and often they include sculpture.

One of the most common features of a fountain, if there is enough pressure, is a jet or multiple jets, where water is forced into the air under pressure to some height. A famous example of such a modern fountain rises from the surface of Lake Geneva (below, left).

The Jet d'Eau in Lake Geneva

History

Early fountains depended on the natural gravity flow of water, from a spring or from an aqueduct supplied from a distant and higher source of water, which provided hydraulic head.

Hellenistic hydraulic engineers employed great originality in designing fountains, where the water pressure might be employed to animate automata and water organs.

Other early fountains were geometrically regularized springs, developed in the classic Persian garden. In the 16th century elaborate fountain displays were garden features of Mannerist gardens of Central Italy and the Mughal gardens of India.

Early Modern English employed fountain to refer to a natural spring water or source, which the 16th century garden fountain might consciously imitate in a grotto.

Flora Fountain in Mumbai, India.

Fountain of life


Christian allegory made much use of the concept of the fountain, specifically the Fountain of Life, associated with the rebirth that was intended to be experienced at the Baptismal font. The Fountain of Life appears in Christian illuminated manuscripts of Late Antiquity, and elaborate Gothic fountains formed centerpieces for exclosed gardens. An offshoot of the Fountain of Life was the legend of the Fountain of Youth, which Juan Ponce de León sought in Florida. From the Fountain of Youth one can drink to gain immortality, or to regain ones youth.

The practical Romans marked the delivery end of aqueducts with a public fountain, a practice that was revived in Rome in the 15th century, when the restored Aqua Felice once more delivered a symbolic presentation of its waters to Rome in the original Trevi Fountain, since replaced by the familiar Baroque fusion of water, architecture and sculpture.

Animated fountains

Animated fountain in front of the Brooklyn Museum consists of laminar flow water jets.

Animated fountains often use laminar jets that provide water that moves like ping pong balls in animation, so that it breaks up, as the height varies, and the behaviour of each jet operates independently with up to 5Hz modulation frequency 1/5sec, so that the water packets collide with themselves. For example, the such fountains can spit up one ball of water which then explodes, showering people with a fine mist.

A musical fountain is a type of fountain that uses laser and harmonics principles to create three-dimensional images that look like holograms.

Other meanings

In Islam a fountain is the name of the place in the Mosque where worshippers can wash before Prayer.

A pair of drinking fountains.

A water fountain is designed to provide drinking water and has a basin arrangement with either continuously running water or a tap. Modern indoor drinking fountains may incorporate filters to remove impurities from the water and chillers to reduce its temperature.

International Fountain (Seattle) was designed specifically as a bathing fountain (for fun and frolic) and includes a large nonslip play area, with speakers for music to splash to.

A splash fountain or bathing fountain is a fountain intended for people to cool off in. Although many fountains were not designed as bathing fountains, children of all ages often use them for that purpose. Some fountains are fenced in, or have raised edges as a barricade to keep people out. In other situations, fountains are designed to allow easy access, and feature nonslip surfaces, so that people can safely use them to cool off in on hot summer days.

More recently, splash fountains have begun to appear. These have zero standing water, to eliminate possible drowning hazards, so that no lifeguards or supervision is required. These splash pads are often located in public pools, public parks, or public playgrounds (known as spraygrounds).

A jogger cools off in the splash fountain that forms the main centerpiece of a flat open space known as Dundas Square at the heart of downtown Toronto. This fountain was designed and built for waterplay, and undergoes strict water quality testing standards. The water is heated using solar energy picked up by special dark colored nonslip granite slabs.

A recent example of a public splash fountain, intended for waterplay, is the one located in Toronto's Dundas Square. It consists of 600 ground nozzles arranged in groups of 30 (3 rows of 10 nozzles). Each group of 30 nozzles is located beneath a stainless steel grille. Twenty such grilles are arranged in two rows of 10, right in the middle of the main walkway through Dundas Square. Both the architects and the designers have confirmed that these were intended for waterplay, and the facility operators have confirmed that the water is treated to pool water quality standards, and that the water quality is tested, by the health department, at least once a day. The entire surface of Dundas Square is made of special nonslip square granite slabs that match the size of the metal grilles. The special texture on the slabs ensures that they are not slippery when wet. Changerooms are located in level P1 of the public parking.

Design

An ornamental lit fountain photographed at night for about 6 seconds.

In modern fountains the traditional gravitational pressure from an unseen reservoir at a higher level is not always practical. In many circumstances fountains obtain their water from an internally recycling system. This closed, recirculating system must still be filled at the start from the local water supply system and also topped up through its life to offset the effects of evaporation. Allowance must also be made to handle overflow in the case of heavy rain.

The pressure that causes water to move through the fountain may be produced instead by a motor-driven (often electric) pump. "Static head" is useful to quantify this pressure, see Head_(hydraulic).

A water filter, typically a media filter, removes particles from the water -- this filter requires its own pump to force water through it and plumbing to remove the water from the pool to the filter and then back to the pool. The water may need chlorination or anti-algal treatment; however, it may also utilise biological methods to filter and clean water.

Low voltage lighting, typically 12 volt Direct Current, is used to minimise electrical hazards. Lighting is often submerged and must be suitably designed.

The pumps, filter, electrical switch box and plumbing controls are often housed in a "plant room".

Fountains for celebration

University of Albany has a "Fountain Day" every year which is a day in which the university can come together to celebrate the coming of spring, and the near-end of the semester. This brings huge crowds celebrating together in the fountains, and creates something close in spirit to an urban beach.

Fountain day is a school sponsored event, initiated by the Human Awareness Program (HAP), in 1979, so students and faculty could break down the barriers that separate them. In 2004 Fountain Day was a media nightmare with drunk students and multiple injuries. As a response the University moved the event to a weekend, incresed security, and limited admittance to the fountain area itself to only UAlbany students. However, the fountain is central to the University community, and Fountain Day celebrates that centrality.

Water quality issues

There is a need for good water quality in contemporary fountains, regardless of their avowed intended use. Regardless of the fact that some fountains are designed and built not as bathing fountains, but are rather used simply as architectural decor, people will often drink from, bathe or wash their hands in any fountain. Additionally, fountain spray can contain legionella bacteria and has been linked to legionnaires' disease outbreaks. Therefore, minimum water quality standards are necessary, regardless of intended use. Guidelines have been developed for control of legionella in ornamental fountains (Legionella Risk Management-Guidelines)

In theory, a free-standing water feature shouldn't have a bather load, and subsequently, many builders would not choose to install filters or sanitation devices. In reality, however, people will interact with ornamental water fountains in the most surprising ways. In Disneyland, for example, people have been reported to change their babies' diapers and then wash their hands in the water fountain (thus adding unexpected bacteria and organics into the water). (Pool and Spa News Online)

US: Legal liability

In July 1997, an outbreak of Cryptosporidiosis was connected to an ornamental fountain at the Minnesota Zoo, which did not have proper filtration and water treatment. Children played in fountains and swallowed water, and spurted the water out of their mouths to mimic the way nozzles in the fountain spurted the water. It was therefore necessary to put a fence around the fountain to keep people away.

In the United States fountain operators and owners are legally liable for failure to either fence-in fountains, or to properly filter, chlorinate or otherwise treat the water, if the fountains are not fenced in. If the water is unsafe, fences must be designed to keep people far enough away, so that they cannot touch the water, otherwise children get water on their hands, and put their fingers into their mouths, and end up getting sick, thus subjecting owners and operators to legal liability.

Fountains not using water

Mercury fountain

For the Barcelona exhibition of 1937 Alexander Calder created in remembrance the miners who were killed at the mercury mines at Almadén a memorial fountain, which uses mercury instead of water. (Today it is enclosed behind glass.)

  • [1]
  • http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/spain/barcelona/fundmiro/calder.html

Gin fountain

During New York City's first drought emergency in modern times, Gene Moore, window designer for Tiffany's, created sparkling fountains hung with diamonds. On a Tiffany card in a corner was the note: "This is not New York's precious water. This is gin." And it was gin.

  • Gene Moore, with Jay Hyams, 1990. My Time at Tiffany's

Famous traditional fountains

  • The Jet d'Eau in Lake Geneva
  • The Trafalgar Square fountains in London.
  • The garden fountains of the Palace of Versailles near Paris.
  • Buckingham Fountain in Chicago.
  • The staircase and Atlas fountains at Peterhoff, the summer palace of Peter the Great
  • The "Fountains of Bellagio" at the Bellagio casino in Las Vegas
  • Fontana di Trevi in Rome.
  • The Wallace fountains of Paris.
  • Various fountains, including the "Fountain of Lions" at the Alhambra, Granada, Spain
  • Swann Memorial Fountain in Philadelphia.
  • Triton Fountain in Italy.


Some modern fountains

Fountain in the Eaton's Center (across Yonge Street from Dundas Square) basement. Namba Walk at Osaka City
  • Toronto Eaton Centre in Toronto, Canada. There are 44 outer nozzles (each 3/8in dia. equiv. to clearstream product) which fill a giant bowl that sprays 20 nozzles up, one central nozzle shoots up approximately 10 meters, 3 times in succession, then the process repeats. Along the far side there is zero-depth entry (no barrier, and the plane of the water matches the plane of the floor).
  • Fountains in front of Brooklyn Museum (frequent frolicking, no standing water; less chance of drowning)
  • Splash Fountains at Christian Science Plaza, Boston, MA
  • Dundas Square fountains designed by artist Dan Euser as both an architectural landmark as well as for frolicking (waterplay)
  • Centennial Olympic Park (computer animated frolicking fountain with 251 ground nozzles that shoot 12 to 35 feet in the air)
  • Urban Oases
  • Vancouver's Harbour Green urban park with pavement waterworks fountains that kids can frolic in
  • Fountain of Wealth (largest fountain in the world since 1998) In Singapore
  • The world's tallest fountain, located in the town of Fountain Hills, Arizona.
  • Tyler Davidson Fountain at Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio.
  • The waterfall cascade at Paley Park, New York City.
  • The El Alamein Memorial Fountain in Fitzroy Gardens, Kings Cross, Sydney, Australia. Tubes and nozzles radiating from a hollow sphere.
  • The fountain at Point State Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
  • The Fountain Of Wealth is the world's largest fountain found at Suntec City, Singapore.

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.
. This is gin." And it was gin. In 2005, the Grand Am continued on in fleet sales while the G6 replaced it in the Pontiac lineup. On a Tiffany card in a corner was the note: "This is not New York's precious water. It is interesting to note that the Grand Am was Pontiac's bestselling car before being replaced. During New York City's first drought emergency in modern times, Gene Moore, window designer for Tiffany's, created sparkling fountains hung with diamonds. The coupe will most likely be dropped at the end of 2006, with the entire Grand Am line being replaced by the Pontiac G6, which is based on the GM Epsilon platform.

(Today it is enclosed behind glass.). The last Grand Am sedan rolled off the assembly line on December 10, 2004. For the Barcelona exhibition of 1937 Alexander Calder created in remembrance the miners who were killed at the mercury mines at Almadén a memorial fountain, which uses mercury instead of water. Despite its success, the Grand Am model line finally came to an end. If the water is unsafe, fences must be designed to keep people far enough away, so that they cannot touch the water, otherwise children get water on their hands, and put their fingers into their mouths, and end up getting sick, thus subjecting owners and operators to legal liability. In the American market, when the Sunfire sedan was dropped for 2003, the Grand Am sedan was the only compact sedan in Pontiac's lineup. In the United States fountain operators and owners are legally liable for failure to either fence-in fountains, or to properly filter, chlorinate or otherwise treat the water, if the fountains are not fenced in. The Pontiac Grand Am enjoyed success as a compact sedan filling a niche as a comfortable, affordable, reliable, yet sporty car.

It was therefore necessary to put a fence around the fountain to keep people away. Safety features as dual front airbags and anti-lock brakes were now standard throughout the line, as well as traction control (ETS). Children played in fountains and swallowed water, and spurted the water out of their mouths to mimic the way nozzles in the fountain spurted the water. Each variant added various features such as power windows and locks, dual rear exhausts, a more powerful engine (3.4 L V6) than the Ecotec, or alloy wheels. In July 1997, an outbreak of Cryptosporidiosis was connected to an ornamental fountain at the Minnesota Zoo, which did not have proper filtration and water treatment. This generation of the Grand Am was sold in five variants, the SE, SE1, SE2, GT, and GT1. (Pool and Spa News Online). In 2002, the design was further refined by removing the ribbed body cladding for a "cleaner" appearance.

In Disneyland, for example, people have been reported to change their babies' diapers and then wash their hands in the water fountain (thus adding unexpected bacteria and organics into the water). The very first 1999 Grand Am rolled off the assembly line on June 15, 1998. In reality, however, people will interact with ornamental water fountains in the most surprising ways. In 1999, the Grand Am was redesigned once again, with its only identical sibling being the Oldsmobile Alero. In theory, a free-standing water feature shouldn't have a bather load, and subsequently, many builders would not choose to install filters or sanitation devices. There were minor cosmetic changes in 1996, and the last year of this Grand Am was 1998. Guidelines have been developed for control of legionella in ornamental fountains (Legionella Risk Management-Guidelines). The top engine choice was a 2.3 L 16-valve High Output Quad-4 which produced 175 hp (130 kW) at 6200 RPM and 155 ft·lbf (210 N·m) at 5200 RPM.

Therefore, minimum water quality standards are necessary, regardless of intended use. This generation was available with either a four or six-cylinder engine. Additionally, fountain spray can contain legionella bacteria and has been linked to legionnaires' disease outbreaks. The redesign was radical compared to the 1989 refresh of its midsize cousin, the Pontiac 6000, due to the fact that it no longer bore a resemblence to its X-body ancestors. Regardless of the fact that some fountains are designed and built not as bathing fountains, but are rather used simply as architectural decor, people will often drink from, bathe or wash their hands in any fountain. In 1992, the GM N platform was redesigned, resulting in a newer looking Grand Am. There is a need for good water quality in contemporary fountains, regardless of their avowed intended use. It was based on the N platform, along with its siblings the Buick Somerset and the Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais.

However, the fountain is central to the University community, and Fountain Day celebrates that centrality. The Pontiac Grand Am was reintroduced as a compact car by GM in 1985 to replace the Phoenix. As a response the University moved the event to a weekend, incresed security, and limited admittance to the fountain area itself to only UAlbany students. . In 2004 Fountain Day was a media nightmare with drunk students and multiple injuries. From 1985-2006, all Pontiac Grand Ams were built in Lansing, Michigan. Fountain day is a school sponsored event, initiated by the Human Awareness Program (HAP), in 1979, so students and faculty could break down the barriers that separate them. It had two 3-year runs; 1973 to 1975 and 1978 to 1980, after which the A-body Grand Am was cancelled.

This brings huge crowds celebrating together in the fountains, and creates something close in spirit to an urban beach. The Pontiac Grand Am began in 1973 as a midsize car on the GM A body. University of Albany has a "Fountain Day" every year which is a day in which the university can come together to celebrate the coming of spring, and the near-end of the semester. The pumps, filter, electrical switch box and plumbing controls are often housed in a "plant room". Lighting is often submerged and must be suitably designed.

Low voltage lighting, typically 12 volt Direct Current, is used to minimise electrical hazards. The water may need chlorination or anti-algal treatment; however, it may also utilise biological methods to filter and clean water. A water filter, typically a media filter, removes particles from the water -- this filter requires its own pump to force water through it and plumbing to remove the water from the pool to the filter and then back to the pool. "Static head" is useful to quantify this pressure, see Head_(hydraulic).

The pressure that causes water to move through the fountain may be produced instead by a motor-driven (often electric) pump. Allowance must also be made to handle overflow in the case of heavy rain. This closed, recirculating system must still be filled at the start from the local water supply system and also topped up through its life to offset the effects of evaporation. In many circumstances fountains obtain their water from an internally recycling system.

In modern fountains the traditional gravitational pressure from an unseen reservoir at a higher level is not always practical. Changerooms are located in level P1 of the public parking. The special texture on the slabs ensures that they are not slippery when wet. The entire surface of Dundas Square is made of special nonslip square granite slabs that match the size of the metal grilles.

Both the architects and the designers have confirmed that these were intended for waterplay, and the facility operators have confirmed that the water is treated to pool water quality standards, and that the water quality is tested, by the health department, at least once a day. Twenty such grilles are arranged in two rows of 10, right in the middle of the main walkway through Dundas Square. Each group of 30 nozzles is located beneath a stainless steel grille. It consists of 600 ground nozzles arranged in groups of 30 (3 rows of 10 nozzles).

A recent example of a public splash fountain, intended for waterplay, is the one located in Toronto's Dundas Square. These splash pads are often located in public pools, public parks, or public playgrounds (known as spraygrounds). These have zero standing water, to eliminate possible drowning hazards, so that no lifeguards or supervision is required. More recently, splash fountains have begun to appear.

In other situations, fountains are designed to allow easy access, and feature nonslip surfaces, so that people can safely use them to cool off in on hot summer days. Some fountains are fenced in, or have raised edges as a barricade to keep people out. Although many fountains were not designed as bathing fountains, children of all ages often use them for that purpose. A splash fountain or bathing fountain is a fountain intended for people to cool off in.

Modern indoor drinking fountains may incorporate filters to remove impurities from the water and chillers to reduce its temperature. A water fountain is designed to provide drinking water and has a basin arrangement with either continuously running water or a tap. In Islam a fountain is the name of the place in the Mosque where worshippers can wash before Prayer. A musical fountain is a type of fountain that uses laser and harmonics principles to create three-dimensional images that look like holograms.

For example, the such fountains can spit up one ball of water which then explodes, showering people with a fine mist. Animated fountains often use laminar jets that provide water that moves like ping pong balls in animation, so that it breaks up, as the height varies, and the behaviour of each jet operates independently with up to 5Hz modulation frequency 1/5sec, so that the water packets collide with themselves. The practical Romans marked the delivery end of aqueducts with a public fountain, a practice that was revived in Rome in the 15th century, when the restored Aqua Felice once more delivered a symbolic presentation of its waters to Rome in the original Trevi Fountain, since replaced by the familiar Baroque fusion of water, architecture and sculpture. From the Fountain of Youth one can drink to gain immortality, or to regain ones youth.

An offshoot of the Fountain of Life was the legend of the Fountain of Youth, which Juan Ponce de León sought in Florida. The Fountain of Life appears in Christian illuminated manuscripts of Late Antiquity, and elaborate Gothic fountains formed centerpieces for exclosed gardens. Christian allegory made much use of the concept of the fountain, specifically the Fountain of Life, associated with the rebirth that was intended to be experienced at the Baptismal font.
.

Early Modern English employed fountain to refer to a natural spring water or source, which the 16th century garden fountain might consciously imitate in a grotto. In the 16th century elaborate fountain displays were garden features of Mannerist gardens of Central Italy and the Mughal gardens of India. Other early fountains were geometrically regularized springs, developed in the classic Persian garden. Hellenistic hydraulic engineers employed great originality in designing fountains, where the water pressure might be employed to animate automata and water organs.

Early fountains depended on the natural gravity flow of water, from a spring or from an aqueduct supplied from a distant and higher source of water, which provided hydraulic head. . A famous example of such a modern fountain rises from the surface of Lake Geneva (below, left). One of the most common features of a fountain, if there is enough pressure, is a jet or multiple jets, where water is forced into the air under pressure to some height.

Many fountains are located in small, artificial ornamental ponds, basins and formal garden pools, and often they include sculpture. Basins may overflow from one into another, or the overflow may imitate a natural cascade. In fountains sheets of water may flow over varied surfaces of stone, concrete or metal. Fountains may be wall fountains or free-standing.

A traditional fountain is an arrangement where water issues from a source (Latin fons), fills a basin of some kind, and is drained away. The Fountain Of Wealth is the world's largest fountain found at Suntec City, Singapore. The fountain at Point State Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Tubes and nozzles radiating from a hollow sphere.

The El Alamein Memorial Fountain in Fitzroy Gardens, Kings Cross, Sydney, Australia. The waterfall cascade at Paley Park, New York City. Tyler Davidson Fountain at Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. The world's tallest fountain, located in the town of Fountain Hills, Arizona.

Fountain of Wealth (largest fountain in the world since 1998) In Singapore. Vancouver's Harbour Green urban park with pavement waterworks fountains that kids can frolic in. Urban Oases. Centennial Olympic Park (computer animated frolicking fountain with 251 ground nozzles that shoot 12 to 35 feet in the air).

Dundas Square fountains designed by artist Dan Euser as both an architectural landmark as well as for frolicking (waterplay). Splash Fountains at Christian Science Plaza, Boston, MA. Fountains in front of Brooklyn Museum (frequent frolicking, no standing water; less chance of drowning). Along the far side there is zero-depth entry (no barrier, and the plane of the water matches the plane of the floor).

to clearstream product) which fill a giant bowl that sprays 20 nozzles up, one central nozzle shoots up approximately 10 meters, 3 times in succession, then the process repeats. equiv. There are 44 outer nozzles (each 3/8in dia. Toronto Eaton Centre in Toronto, Canada.

Triton Fountain in Italy. Swann Memorial Fountain in Philadelphia. Various fountains, including the "Fountain of Lions" at the Alhambra, Granada, Spain. The Wallace fountains of Paris.

Fontana di Trevi in Rome. The "Fountains of Bellagio" at the Bellagio casino in Las Vegas. The staircase and Atlas fountains at Peterhoff, the summer palace of Peter the Great. Buckingham Fountain in Chicago.

The garden fountains of the Palace of Versailles near Paris. The Trafalgar Square fountains in London. The Jet d'Eau in Lake Geneva. My Time at Tiffany's.

Gene Moore, with Jay Hyams, 1990. http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/spain/barcelona/fundmiro/calder.html. [1].