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Seoul's Banpo Bridge Turns into Gigantic Fountain, Puts NYC's Waterfalls to Shame
Posted by Adam Frucci at 3:30 AM on October 24, 2008
The Banpo Bridge in Seoul, South Korea just got a major facelift in the form of a 10,000-nozzle fountain that runs all the way along both its sides. They were just installed last month, but already the bridge has turned into a major tourist attraction. Which is understandable, as I've certainly never driven over a bridge that's pumping out 190 tons of water per minute. And since it's just pulling up water from the river below, it's nice and eco-friendly. Hit the jump for a video of this awesome bridge in action.
The Vortex Fountain eschews gentle, soothing streams for a powerful water funnel. The illusion of a standing block of water is created by an acrylic case hidden by transparency and water cascading down the sides, and the vortex itself is formed through the combination of strong, alternate currents of water that collide in the tank. Depending on the angle from which you view the fountain, it alternates between a majestic restraint of nature and an oversized science experiment involving expensive two-litres. Here's a clip of the Vortex Fountain in full vortexness:
For only US$4, I can see little reason not to get this ingenious little Faucet Fountain attachment for the sink. It eliminates waste (no more paper cups in the bathroom), it saves you from having to wash extra cups in the kitchen, and it recreates those grade school gym class memories all in one. Plus, when not in use, the bottom pops out and allows the faucet to work normally.
Last night in Santa Monica, CA, from 7pm to about 7am, Glow 08 took over the piers. It was an art and music festival with a bunch of cool events and attractions, but the coolest looks to have been the "Primal Source," a gigantic fountain with projections on it built by Usman Haque. As the video shows, it looks like a gigantic drug-induced hallucination. Which is awesome.
I've never found bath time boring enough to need a water fountain and a light show, but in case you hate not being reminded of the Bellagio every time you step into the tub, the AquaRain is here to allay your washroom ADD. The AquaRain floats in your bathtub and pumps bathwater through its jets to create a fountain effect. Four LED lights—red, purple, blue and white—can be remixed to turn your shower into a rave. On sale at Japan Trend Shop for US$49, hilarious Engrish included. [
In Dubai, they're doing things big these days. Big hotels, big palm tree islands, big wallets, and very soon, big US$281 million fountains. The biggest one in the world, in fact, and it will be large enough to give the famed fountains at the Bellagio in Las Vegas an inferiority complex. At 250 metres long, the unnamed fountain will be 25% larger than the Bellagio fountain. Powering the fountain will be pumps capable of shooting columns of water approximately 135 or so metres into the dry Middle Eastern air. A light and sound show produced by a network of 6,600 lights and 50 projectors will illuminate the burgeoning Dubai skyline at night. About 83,250 litres of water are expected to cycle through the fountain at any given time when it is completed in 2009. Now, if you'll excuse me, nature calls.[
Sorry, but I just can't believe anyone's going to buy this. Not only does it just look ridiculous, with its faux stone carving topped with a leafy pineapple, and its two submerged halogen lights. (Why not four lights, or a whole ring of them? I mean, if you're going cheesy, go all the way.) On the good side, it does contain a hidden 8-inch 250-watt stereo speaker system, and can plug directly into a standard 120V wall unit. But still, it's not worth it at any price, especially not US$600. Yes, I said $600. [
This pendant lamp concept by a group of Korean designers has an extra function as a dinner table water fountain: hot and cold water is delivered by the globe "fruits" you can see plugged into it. So yes, it's a nice idea and certainly seems convenient, but no no no! Water supplies, light bulbs and electrical wiring all hanging over your head ready to plunge down and zap your dinner party into the next life? Sounds like too much of an electrical Sword of Damocles to us. [
This complete waste of everyone's time is the Portable Desktop Dancing Water Fountain from Brando. It reacts to sound by squirting synchronised jets of water a couple of inches into the air "to create a peacful oasis," says the product site. You can turn off the sound activated option so that the jets all go off constantly, but the only option I'm interested in is the one where I opt to pick up this battery-operated unit and throw it out of my window to create my own 'peaceful oasis'. Price and features after the jump.
