Gulf Construction Online - Mall fountains are music to the ears

Kuwait

The water features will provide three daytime animated shows and nine musical evening shows.

Mall fountains are music to the ears

01 December 2005

A dramatic setting has been created at the Al Kout shopping centre, thanks to the striking water features – both inside and outside – from the Canada headquartered Crystal Fountains.

The mall forms part of the Fahaheel Waterfront being developed by Tamdeen Real Estate at Fahaheel in Kuwait.
The external water feature is nestled between two shopping malls at Fahaheel and covers an area approximately 300 m in length and 50 m in width, and greets visitors at the entrance to the development.
“The water features will provide three daytime animated shows and nine musical evening shows,” explains Michael Denman, director of overseas operations at Crystal Fountains. “These musical shows are choreographed to songs composed by a local musician hired by the developer. There are currently five songs and therefore five different shows. Over 2,000 cu m per hour of water is in circulation during the shows.”
In addition, there are four interior water wall features, made of natural stone, flanking each of the four escalators located in the shopping mall. The features are similar in concept featuring aerated water running over a heavily textured natural rockwork surface to offer a relaxing “wadi” feel to these areas, Denman points out.
Elaborating on the details of the external water features, he says: “There is an entrance pool with five rows of jets set in arches comprising a total of 40 NEA-150LB clear stream jets, which reflect the five arches at the entrance. This pool has a ‘slit overflow edge’ detail, which is approximately 50 m wide and 25 m long.
“The entrance pool is followed by the upper cascading pool which – though not actually connected – gives a sense of continuity of the striking water features of the development which eventually lead to the marina. This area includes a 1.2 m free-falling laminar weir cascade, which is 40 m long. Uplighting is provided using EL-040-24 submersible light fixtures of 200 watts (40 units).
“The upper cascading pool is connected to the main lagoon, which is divided into two pools by a bridge that provides a fabulous viewing point of the area. This bridge connects the new ‘fish market’ to the shopping mall and thus reinforces the link of the ‘old and new’. Variable frequency controls are applied to the pumping system. Uplighting is provided using EL-040-24 high intensity submersible fixtures (40 units).
“There is an independent water treatment system comprising four 24 cu m/h high-rate sand filters with associated PH/ORP chemical regulation and dosing devices.
The main lagoon area, which hosts the ‘musical fountains’, includes:
• 100 custom multiple orifice fog spray nozzles rising to a maximum 3 m in height;
• 100 NWS-151 water switch sequencing devices with a clear stream effect rising to a maximum 10 m in height;
• 100 lateral surging effects (to recreate the noise of the surf);
• One NEF-300LB clear stream effect to a maximum of 45 m in height;
• 104 EL-040-24 – 300 Watt high-intensity submersible light fixtures;
• Seven animation pumps each associated with variable frequency drives;
• Wind control system to reduce the height of the display on moderate to high wind conditions;
• The pool is light blue/green to prevent the water from heating up, which would result in greater evaporation.
Following the resounding success of Al Kout Mall installation, Crystal Fountains has now been retained once again by Tamdeen Real Estate for the 360 Kuwait retail project in South Surrah.
The development is in the early stages of design and Crystal Fountains will be working on several water features, some bigger than a football field. Working with RTKL (Dallas), 360 Kuwait is scheduled to open in 2007.
“Designing water features for large-scale projects demands particular strengths that Crystal Fountains is known for the world over,” says Denman. “Large, landmark projects are long term, taking an average of two to three years to build on the basis of their sheer scale. It is a challenge to effectively manage the process from planning through to opening. The other major challenge is design. In order to lend the proper prestige to a large-scale building or development, the design must reflect the appropriate drama to complement the structure. Some other considerations with these types of projects are: Building effective working relationships, foresight and planning, adding value, thematic identity and early consultation.”

Planning
He elaborates: “Large-scale projects demand a great deal of planning and key structural decisions are required to be taken early on in order to integrate into the overall plan.
“A large-scale project requires considerable initial investment, and the inclusion of a high-tech fountain represents a minimal percentage of investment by comparison. A water feature within a large-scale project is understood as an investment with huge returns. A place-making water feature serves to enhance the overall brand image of the location and creates an atmosphere to which visitors will return again and again.
“Moving water attracts and creates a heightened ambiance and a sense of excitement. Because a fountain often becomes the symbol of a project, its special character can influence the way the project is perceived by the public.
“Crystal Fountains uses a combination of place-making, innovative design, architecture, technology, and theme-setting in the creation of its water features.
“Elaborate, technically-advanced water features are more complex than traditional fountains and water feature specialists should be consulted about their implementation at the beginning of the project. Early involvement is essential to ensure proper integration with the space and style of the centre and to identify as many budgetary and logistical constraints as possible.
“Crystal is adept at understanding the different needs and requirements of its partners and has worked on a number of large-scale projects in its 38-year history. Working with other members of the design team, Crystal Fountains addresses all the structural and design issues that can arise.”
Apart from these projects in Kuwait, Crystal Fountains will also be involved with prestigious Burj Dubai development, which will include the tallest tower in the world.
For the project in Dubai, Crystal Fountains was sought out directly by the developer Emaar to design more than 60 innovative water features using its latest technology.
Crystal has been retained to work on water features for the Tower Park, Island Park and Lake Promenade, which are scheduled for completion in 2008.