In the common imagination, fountains are elegant and refined elements, but sometimes even bulky! This is because, with the term fountain, the first thought goes to the classical monumental fountains in marble, which have become a symbol of cities, squares, and gardens. In this article, we explain that instead, the fountains can be the exact opposite: temporary and easy structures, thanks to the creation of removable pools.
The removable pools are mobile structures, usually made of steel or wood (materials that are usually waterproofed with a PVC or EPDM) and supported by an AISI316L steel structure. However, the variants in terms of materials and waterproofing are many and customizable according to the desired design or the specific needs of the work. This type of fountain has an essential feature: the need for a raised pool. The height of the edges of the pool can vary from a few centimetres up to more significant heights, to accommodate the requests and needs of the project and the client.
The potential of the removable pool is many and important, first of all, it can be foreseen both in external and interior projects, but, above all it offers the possibility of creating a wide range of types of fountains: mirrored, dynamic, musical dancing, but also water walls, columns of water and art installations. We could report many examples of fountains built on removable pools, one of these is Rhythmus H2O, an elegant fountain, where an AISI 316L steel structure hides the technical parts, from which the water gushes and slides with a slow and constant rhythm over them, enveloping the Murano glass elements in its path.
For those who observe a traditional fountain and one with a removable pool, the perceived differences are zero, because both offer innumerable scenographic effects and properly hide the MEP parts necessary for their operation, therefore the type of pool used does not make any change on an aesthetic level. On the contrary, for those who instead have to build the fountain, there is a difference and the one on a removable pool boasts numerous advantages: the main one is that the removable pool does not involve any modification to the landscape of the place where it is going to be installed. Whether it is a public square, a garden or a building, the installation of a removable pool does not imply a transformation of the spaces. The necessary building works are much lower than the works indispensable for the construction of a permanent fountain, therefore, once the water and electricity connections have been made, the fountain is ready for installation. Once the fountain is no longer needed and is removed, the only “change” to the appearance of the place is to see the wells on the pavement, elements which however can be eliminated with the restoration of the original pavement.
For the Municipality of Porlezza Forme d’Acqua designed Focus per Aquam, the musical dancing fountain on a removable pool that colors and fills the evenings on the shores of Lugano Lake with music. In this new construction, there is a large circular structure, built in AISI 316 stainless steel, 6 meters in diameter and 55 centimeters in height, painted in a corten shade, and waterproofed with a black sheet in AlfaFol (PVC). The nozzles and the respective pumps and LED spots are functional for the dynamic shows and they are positioned inside the pool. Along the external perimeter, there are 4 boxes that house the loudspeakers, while the technical compartment is made to measure around the structure of the fountain itself. Focus per Aquam is an example of how it is possible to redevelop and enhance a city area through the insertion of a musical fountain, which amplifies the attractiveness of the place without changing its landscape aspect.
In some projects, construction works (even if minimal) are not necessary, because the fountain must be exhibited for a limited time and therefore excavations or small demolitions would be unthinkable. This is where custom-made solutions come to the fore and the study of the most innovative and efficient techniques offers a fountain ready to be installed, without having to intervene on the built environment.
In the case of temporary installations, such as the Lagoon Monster, the installation of the removable pool does not require any building work, because the work itself was designed to be itinerant and then exhibited for short periods. The Lagoon Monster is a magical creature, a good monster created by the architect Simona M. Favrin, who lives immersed in the waters of a pool measuring 8 x 3.5m with a depth of 12cm. From 2011 to today, the work made a long journey, starting in Cavallino-Treporti (Venice) and arriving in Milan, passing through important cities such as Istanbul, Ravenna, Bologna, and Venice. The lagoon monster showed itself in prestigious contexts such as the Cisterna Basilica – Yerebatan Sarnıcı (Istanbul), Villa dei Vescovi (Padua), the Murano Glass Museum, Piazza Gae Aulenti and Via Mercanti in Milan, locations that certainly do not allow any changes to their appearance! To see how we install the Monster and its mirrored fountain with a removable pool, watch this video:
When we talk about what we do it happens that whoever is on the other side looks at us with amazement and admiration, because working with water in its most artistic form is an occupation we rarely hear about. Making custom-made fountains is an activity of the few and for the few, because to create them it is necessary to put in place a series of skills that allow the design to go beyond the correct preparation of the MEP parts and to create real artistic creations.
May 22nd 2023
