Dynamic floor fountain
Nobel Prize Square, Pinarella di Cervia, Ravenna

In Pinarella, a renowned summer holiday destination for many families, a redevelopment project was recently completed with the aim of regenerating Nobel Prize Square, the heart of the town. In 2022 the Municipal Administration of Cervia wanted to increase the quality of Pinarella's public spaces with an important redevelopment intervention to give a new image to the city, through the elimination of some critical issues: architectural barriers, waterproof flooring, shaded areas reduced and lack of systems for collecting and recycling rainwater. The architectural project bears the signature of the architect Marialuisa Cipriani and is focused on sustainability. The design of the square is developed on an abstract geometric system, based on the square, which generates a series of architectural spaces that expand and intersect to cover the entire area. A dynamic floor fountain is the element that symbolizes the union between the city and the sea, emphasizing the playful and recreational aspect of water games and offering an effective improvement in the microclimate. Furthermore, the sight of water creates a psychological effect in people who anticipates the feeling of refreshment and well-being. The floor fountain is made up of five dynamic nozzles arranged at the vertices and center of a square, with jets that reach 2 meters in height and move independently of each other, thanks to the provision of a controllable speed DMX pump for each nozzle. Nozzles, pumps, and spotlights are housed in five underground boxes that can be inspected and communicate with each other. There is a water circuit, which always recirculates the same water. The water is filtered and independently balanced in pH and Redox values, avoiding the formation of algae, limestone, and the proliferation of pathogens. To make the project even more spectacular, and scenographic, an RGB-W LED spot was installed near each nozzle, to completely illuminate the jets and emphasize the water games and choreographies: the addition of a white LED to the three fundamentals RGB offers colors with brighter and more defined shades. To maintain the full usability of the fountain and the aesthetics of the water features, an anemometer was installed, which automatically adjusts the height and switching on/off of the jets proportionally to the wind pressure. It can be managed and monitored from My Fountain, the app developed by Forme d'Acqua which also allows clients to intervene in the selection of shows and control every aspect and parameter of the fountain in real-time and remotely. Among the focuses of the redevelopment was the need to provide suitable spaces for the creation of temporary events and festivals, so the floor fountain lends itself perfectly to the concept with its jets which, if turned off, make the area pedestrian-friendly. The garage lids have been adapted to be covered with the same material as the square and maintain an aesthetic continuity of the surface. The creation of a vegetal cover accompanied by draining architectural concrete areas allows for complete permeability of the soil. In the construction of a floor fountain, the permeability of the flooring is an important element, because it drains rainwater and therefore does not allow the dirty water to flow into the boxes and avoids the need to create a counter-slope close to the fountain or a collection channel. The fountain water, the draining concrete, and the high rate of vegetation contribute to creating a positive impact on the urban microclimate and the hydraulic safety of the area. In this way, through spaces redesigned to counteract the heat island effect and reduce fine dust, the city's resilience to climate change is increased.