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Fountain↕ | Location↕ | Year Built↕ | Style↕ | Known For↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Trevi Fountain | Rome, Italy | 1762 | Baroque | The most famous fountain in the world and the largest Baroque fountain in Rome, the Trevi stands 86 feet high and 161 feet wide depicting the god Neptune riding a chariot pulled by seahorses and tritons through a rocky seascape carved into the facade of the Palazzo Poli, the tradition of throwing a coin over your left shoulder with your right hand to ensure a return to Rome draws an estimated 3,000 euros per day into its waters — roughly 1.5 million euros annually which is donated to Caritas to fund a supermarket for the poor, Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita immortalized the fountain in the scene where Anita Ekberg wades into its waters calling to Marcello Mastroianni, the fountain has been restored multiple times most recently by Fendi in 2015 and its nighttime illumination makes it one of the most photographed monuments in Italy, the Trevi is fed by one of Rome's ancient aqueducts — the Acqua Vergine — connecting a modern tourist attraction to engineering that is over two thousand years old |
Bellagio Fountains | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA | 1998 | Choreographed water show | The most watched fountain show on Earth — over 1,000 water jets choreographed to music create performances up to 460 feet wide and 250 feet tall on the artificial lake in front of the Bellagio hotel, the fountains perform every 30 minutes during the afternoon and every 15 minutes in the evening with a rotating repertoire of songs from Sinatra to Bocelli to Whitney Houston, designed by WET Design the same firm behind the Dubai Fountain and the 1996 Olympic cauldron the Bellagio fountains cost $40 million to build and use approximately 22 million gallons of water, the show has been featured in the Ocean's Eleven heist scene and countless other films and television programs and it remains the single most popular free attraction in Las Vegas, the fountains demonstrated that water choreographed to music could be as emotionally moving as any stage performance and they inspired dozens of imitators worldwide |
Fountains of Versailles | Versailles, France | 1661–1689 | Baroque / Classical French | The greatest fountain complex ever created — over 1,400 jets across more than 50 fountains in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles represent Louis XIV's ultimate expression of royal power and the mastery of nature, the Apollo Fountain depicts the sun god driving his chariot from the water at dawn symbolizing Louis the Sun King himself, the Latona Fountain illustrates the myth of Latona whose enemies were turned into frogs by Jupiter, creating the Grand Canal and its intricate hydraulic system was one of the most ambitious engineering projects of the 17th century requiring the diversion of rivers and the construction of massive pumping stations, the fountains still operate today during the Grandes Eaux spectacles held on summer weekends when visitors can experience the full power of the water displays as they were intended to be seen three centuries ago, Versailles proved that fountains could be instruments of political propaganda — every jet of water proclaimed the king's dominion over nature itself |
Buckingham Fountain | Chicago, Illinois, USA | 1927 | Beaux-Arts / Art Deco | One of the largest fountains in the world and the centerpiece of Chicago's Grant Park, Buckingham Fountain was donated by Kate Buckingham in memory of her brother and its design was inspired by the Latona Fountain at Versailles but built at twice the scale, the fountain holds 1.5 million gallons of water and its central jet shoots water 150 feet into the air, the four pairs of bronze seahorses represent the four states that border Lake Michigan, Buckingham Fountain's evening light show — introduced in its original design and updated many times since — makes it one of the most recognizable landmarks on the Chicago skyline, the fountain was prominently featured in the opening credits of Married with Children and has appeared in numerous films set in Chicago, it operates from April to October and its seasonal opening is treated as an unofficial marker of spring in a city that takes its relationship with winter very seriously |
Jet d'Eau | Geneva, Switzerland | 1886 (current form 1951) | Single-jet monument | The towering single jet of water on Lake Geneva that shoots 140 meters — 459 feet — into the air making it one of the tallest fountains in the world and the defining symbol of Geneva, the Jet d'Eau pumps 500 liters of water per second at a speed of 200 kilometers per hour and at any given moment seven tons of water are suspended in the air, it was originally a safety valve for a hydraulic power network and was only later recognized as a potential tourist attraction, the fountain operates year-round except in freezing conditions and when the wind would blow spray onto the road and its plume is visible from virtually everywhere in the city, the Jet d'Eau has become so synonymous with Geneva that it appears on the canton's coat of arms and in marketing materials for Swiss tourism watches and banking, its simplicity — a single column of white water against the Alpine backdrop — demonstrates that the most powerful fountains need not be ornate |
Fountain of Wealth | Singapore | 1995 | Bronze ring fountain | Once recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest fountain in the world, the Fountain of Wealth at Suntec City in Singapore is a massive bronze ring mounted on four angled columns representing unity and harmony among Singapore's four major races, the fountain's design is based on the Hindu mandala — a symbol of the universe — and water flows inward from the ring symbolizing the retention of wealth in feng shui tradition, visitors are encouraged to walk around the smaller inner fountain three times while touching the water and making a wish, the fountain was designed by Tsao & McKown and its engineering required the coordination of water flow from 66 jets around the ring's circumference, the Fountain of Wealth reflects Singapore's unique blend of modern ambition and traditional belief systems and its placement in a commercial complex reinforces the city-state's identity as a place where business prosperity and cultural heritage coexist |
Magic Fountain of Montjuic | Barcelona, Spain | 1929 | Art Deco choreographed | Barcelona's spectacular sound and light fountain built for the 1929 International Exposition at the foot of Montjuic hill, the fountain combines water light color and music in performances that draw thousands of spectators on summer evenings, designed by Carles Buigas the fountain was considered a marvel of engineering when it debuted and its recent renovation added modern LED lighting and an expanded musical repertoire, the Magic Fountain sits at the head of a grand avenue leading up to the Palau Nacional creating a theatrical setting that amplifies the drama of the water displays, the fountain was silenced during the Franco era and its restoration to operation became a symbol of Barcelona's cultural renaissance, the performances are free and the sight of thousands of people sitting on the stone steps watching colored water dance to music on a warm Mediterranean evening is one of Barcelona's most beloved communal experiences |
Dubai Fountain | Dubai, UAE | 2009 | Choreographed water show | The world's largest choreographed fountain system — 900 feet long and shooting water up to 500 feet in the air at the base of the Burj Khalifa the tallest building on Earth, designed by WET Design the same firm behind the Bellagio the Dubai Fountain operates on the artificial Burj Khalifa Lake and its nightly shows are choreographed to Arabic pop classical music and international hits, the fountain uses 6,600 lights and 25 colored projectors and its water cannons are called super shooters capable of launching water higher than a 50-story building, the spectacle of the world's tallest fountains performing at the foot of the world's tallest building creates a scene of almost absurd ambition that perfectly encapsulates Dubai's maximalist approach to urban development, the fountain has become one of the most filmed attractions in the Middle East and watching the show from a traditional abra boat on the lake has become a must-do Dubai experience |
Fountain of the Four Rivers | Rome, Italy | 1651 | Baroque | Gian Lorenzo Bernini's masterpiece in the Piazza Navona — four colossal marble figures representing the Nile Ganges Danube and Rio de la Plata recline on a rocky grotto supporting an ancient Egyptian obelisk, each river god is accompanied by animals and plants from their respective continents and the composition creates a dynamic swirling sense of movement that was revolutionary in its time, legend holds that the Nile figure covers his eyes to avoid seeing the facade of the church of Sant'Agnese designed by Bernini's rival Borromini though the fountain was actually completed before the church was begun, the fountain is fed by the Acqua Vergine aqueduct and its waters flow over naturalistic rocks creating the impression that a wild landscape has erupted in the middle of a Roman piazza, the Fountain of the Four Rivers is considered one of the greatest sculptural achievements of the Baroque era and it demonstrates Bernini's unmatched ability to make stone appear to defy gravity and water appear to have carved its own course |
Swarovski Crystal Worlds Fountain | Wattens, Austria | 1995 | Land art / sculptural | A giant grass-covered face built into a hillside with water pouring from its mouth into a pool below, the fountain marks the entrance to the Swarovski Crystal Worlds museum and theme park designed by multimedia artist Andre Heller, the Giant as it is known has crystal eyes and its mouth functions as a waterfall creating one of the most surreal and photographed fountain installations in Europe, the surrounding Chambers of Wonder inside the hill feature crystal installations by artists including Keith Haring and the entire complex blurs the line between fountain sculpture and immersive art installation, the Swarovski fountain proves that contemporary fountain design can be as imaginative and provocative as any gallery exhibition, the Giant has become the symbol of the Swarovski brand's creative ambitions beyond jewelry and its location in the Austrian Alps surrounded by mountains adds a dramatic natural backdrop to the artificial wonder |
Fountains of Peterhof | Peterhof, Russia | 1714–1721 | Baroque / Imperial Russian | Peter the Great's answer to Versailles — a palace and fountain complex on the Gulf of Finland that surpasses its French inspiration in sheer water power with over 150 fountains and 4 cascades operating entirely on gravity without the use of pumps, the Grand Cascade — the centerpiece — features 64 fountains and 255 bronze statues arranged on a stepped waterfall leading from the palace to the sea canal, the Samson Fountain at the base depicts Samson prying open a lion's jaws and shoots water 65 feet into the air symbolizing Russia's victory over Sweden in the Great Northern War, Peter commissioned the complex after visiting Versailles and was determined to prove that Russia could match and exceed European grandeur, the fountains were devastated during the Nazi occupation of Peterhof in World War II and their meticulous post-war restoration is considered one of the great achievements of Soviet heritage conservation |
King Fahd Fountain | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | 1985 | Single-jet monument | The tallest fountain in the world shooting Red Sea water to a height of 312 meters — over 1,000 feet — making it visible from virtually anywhere in Jeddah and from aircraft approaching the city, the fountain uses no special nozzle technology — it simply pumps seawater at enormous pressure through a single outlet creating a white plume that has become the defining landmark of Jeddah's Corniche waterfront, the water leaves the nozzle at a speed of 375 kilometers per hour and approximately 16 tons of water are airborne at any given moment, the fountain was a gift from King Fahd to the city and it operates during evening hours when it is illuminated by 500 spotlights, the King Fahd Fountain holds the Guinness World Record for tallest fountain and its sheer vertical scale — nearly four times the height of the Statue of Liberty — makes all other single-jet fountains appear modest by comparison |
Banpo Bridge Moonlight Rainbow Fountain | Seoul, South Korea | 2009 | Bridge-integrated LED fountain | The world's longest bridge fountain — 1,140 meters of water jets installed along both sides of the Banpo Bridge over the Han River create a spectacular curtain of water illuminated by 10,000 LED lights that cycle through rainbow colors, the fountain pumps 190 tons of water per minute from the river below and the 380 water jets on each side of the bridge create arcing streams that fall back into the Han River, the shows run multiple times daily from spring through autumn and the sight of the bridge appearing to cascade water in rainbow colors against the Seoul skyline has made it one of the most photographed landmarks in South Korea, the Moonlight Rainbow Fountain holds the Guinness World Record for the longest bridge fountain and it demonstrates a uniquely Korean approach to public art — integrating spectacle into existing infrastructure rather than building standalone monuments, the fountain transformed an ordinary highway bridge into a destination and a symbol of Seoul's creative urban ambition |
Archibald Fountain | Sydney, Australia | 1932 | Beaux-Arts | The finest public fountain in Australia located in Hyde Park Sydney and designed by French sculptor Francois-Leon Sicard to commemorate the association of Australia and France during World War I, the fountain features bronze figures of Diana Apollo and Pan surrounded by horses tortoises and other creatures all spouting water in a complex arrangement that creates a constantly shifting play of light and spray, the fountain was controversial when unveiled — some Australians objected to the use of a French sculptor and to the nude figures — but it has since become one of the most beloved landmarks in Sydney, its position at the center of Hyde Park surrounded by enormous Moreton Bay fig trees creates a pocket of European elegance in the heart of an Australian city, the Archibald Fountain demonstrates that the French Beaux-Arts fountain tradition could be transplanted to the other side of the world and become an integral part of a city's identity within a generation |
Stravinsky Fountain | Paris, France | 1983 | Kinetic sculpture / postmodern | A playful postmodern fountain next to the Centre Pompidou featuring 16 moving sculptural works by Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle that spray squirt and spit water in unpredictable patterns, the sculptures represent themes from Igor Stravinsky's compositions — The Firebird The Rite of Spring Ragtime — and they combine Tinguely's black mechanical kinetic sculptures with Saint Phalle's colorful whimsical polyester figures, the fountain is deliberately chaotic and humorous — a stark contrast to the classical order of fountains like the Trevi or Versailles — and its location next to the radical architecture of the Pompidou Center reinforces its avant-garde credentials, children are particularly drawn to the fountain's unpredictable water jets and the joyful silliness of its sculptures, the Stravinsky Fountain proves that fountain design can be subversive funny and deeply contemporary while still creating a beloved public gathering place |
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