Semi-dynamic floor fountain – Piazza Einaudi, Darfo Boario Terme (BS)

An urban redevelopment and site-specific architecture project, which redesigns and revises public spaces through the potential of water and its designs. Darfo Boario Terme (BS) is a well-known spa resort in the lower Valle Camonica in the center of a fascinating mountain setting. Piazza Einaudi, better known as the bus station square, is the heart of the city: between 2020 and 2022 it was the subject of a major urban redevelopment project, where an attractive semi-dynamic floor fountain stands out in the heart of the central area pedestrianised. Eleven jets of water illuminated by RGB+White LED spots emerge from the floor and create water and light choreographies - thanks to DMX programming - and enrich the scenography of the place. In the background the railway station, thus the floor fountain welcomes visitors in an original way and favours the creation of a place of sharing, passage and meeting, for those passing through and for those who choose it as a meeting point, considering that the entire area it is largely pedestrianized to ensure safety. Rows of maple trees frame the pedestrian area and amplify the sense of well-being given by the union of the water element with the vegetation. The fountain was designed to be sustainable, with the lowest water and electricity consumption on the world market: 480W to move the water from 11 nozzles and make it reach a height of up to 2 metres. Another feature of the Forme d'Acqua fountains is easy maintenance: a system of 11 custom-made boxes in AISI316 stainless steel connected to each other with communicating vessels, create a single circuit where 100% of the water is filtered every hour. The upper face of each box has two contiguous holes, one for the water jet and the other for the LED spot light. The nozzles are arranged in two rows, each connected to an OASE Varionaut 240 24V/DMX/02 240W pump, which regulates the height and dynamics of the jets, allowing you to create unique water effects - generated by programming through sinusoids and waves square – obtainable thanks to the high level of technology of OASE Living Water. The water is always the same and is automatically replenished only when needed by reading the OASE WLS 20-4 level sensor. The water that falls on the floor immediately returns to the pits through the 8mm anti-heel cuts, thus avoiding dispersions. The R11 non-slip flooring guarantees the safety of children who play and run between the water jets. The semi-dynamic floor fountain was conceived to be the door to the city and a place for art shows and events. The design was done in 2018 by the Botticini+Facchinelli ARW studio, which redesigned Piazza Einaudi bringing it back to its original purpose - socialization - and redefined the spaces making them suitable for new needs, without obscuring or diminishing the urban context and natural beauties surrounding. The project extends over a total area of intervention of 7,293 m² divided into three distinct sections: the construction of the fountain is part of the central one, dedicated to the definition of a pedestrian area in front of the railway station, on the sides of which open the other two driveways. Overall, the walkways guarantee a connection between the various crucial points of the project - the train station, the bus station, the parking lot and the town - and flow into the dynamism given by the multicolored jets of the floor fountain. The building works were carried out by 3C Aedificatoria, the General Contractor company specializing in building construction, which entrusted Forme d'Acqua Venice Fountains with the design of the MEP part and the creation of the water features.

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Technical sheet

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Water games

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11 OASE Comet 5-8 Silver nozzles

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Water handling system

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2 OASE Varionaut 240 24V/DMX/0 pumps connected to an Aster 350 sand filter

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Automatic loader with four ways level sensor OASE WLS 20-4 with stop for dry motors

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Anemometer

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Filtration system

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1 Astralpool Sena 1/3HP 0,25KW 220V 7000l/h pump

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1 Astrapool ASTER 350 sand filter with two different grain size

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1 EMEC panel with double dosing pump for acidification and automatic chlorination of water with control probe and automatic replenishment in line with remote control

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Lightning

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11 spotLED Teclumen Mini Sub RGB+White 12V/AC 12W DMX Special 16°  

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Credits

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Architectural design: Botticini+Facchinelli ARW

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Project group: Arch. Lucia Fanetti

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Construction site management: Botticini+Facchinelli ARW con Arch. Fabio De Pedro

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Structure consultant: engineer Alessandro Bertozzi

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ITF plant design consultant: engineer Luca Fornoni

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Electrical design consultant: P.E. Diego Fioletti

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Photo and video: Francesca Vezzoli

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Renderings: Botticini+Facchinelli ARW