The Floating Well, outdoor fountain
Hotel Riviera & Maximilian’s, Trieste

The Floating Well, an evocative name for a special fountain, born from the idea of ​​one of our clients, developed and designed by us. The concept behind this fountain comes from Mr. Gilberto Benvenuti, owner of the Hotel Riviera & Maximilian's in Trieste, who involved us in a fascinating project: the creation of a scenic fountain in the park of his hotel, with the insertion of a original Venetian wellhead from the 17th century, recovered and inserted in the water-mirrored surface. A contemporary project, with an architectural element of great historical value. In Venice, in fact, the city of water par excellence, paradoxically, there was no water to drink, the "Vera da Pozzo" (wellheads) were made of carved decorated marble, embellished the city’s wells used for collecting rainwater.  

In our project the "Vera da Pozzo" is supported by an invisible stainless steel base, with three points of support, over the water surface. This gives the impression that the well is floating inside the tank, only "supported" by the water movements, created by the nozzles.

One of the peculiarities of the project lies in these new "bayonet" nozzles, made by Forme d'Acqua that can be adjusted in height with a simple gesture of the hand. Each nozzle can be modified manually and create different intensities of the water jet and, consequently, always new and different movements and effects. Water flows along three tubes positioned inside the well, then overflowing along its sides and falling into the basin below. A "fog" system has been created around the structure, in which 16 nozzles nebulize microscopic drops of water, creating a beautiful scenographic effect that, thanks to the movements created by the nozzles, recalls the water vapor created by the bubbling of the hot water of a thermal spring.  

Also in this case, we relied on OASE for the pump system to supply the nozzles; the fountain is lit both internally and externally with two low voltage LED systems to make the fountain even more evocative in the evening, making of it a real experience to be offered to the customers of the structure.

Thanks to the collaboration with the arch. Simona M. Favrin, who developed the original idea, and with Mr. Benvenuti, we achieved a perfect balance between the elements that contribute to create this spectacular fountain. The material beauty and rich in history of the "real" marble in contrast to the contemporary cleaning of the corten steel ring, the water games designed exclusively for this installation and handcrafted made by artificial fogs, create an evocative atmosphere that gives emotions. An important and unique intervention in its kind, where the new and the old meet, respecting the natural context of the Riviera of the Gulf of Trieste.