If you want to see the final result go there ->
Background Information
Before we start it is important to read the original story. The background explanation can be found here (in German). I made a quick summary so we can see what are the requirements.
- The city built 150 years ago a new aqueduct to bring fresh water from the Alps.
- This improved the sanitary conditions and made life better
- We want to remind the “Schwarzenbergplatz” (an other fountain in Vienna) by having a big central water jet.
- It should have some drinking water supply so people can cool down and refresh themself in summer.
- It should represent the city in general.
- It has some “advanced” lighting at night (from what I have seen, probably a crappy RGB LED).
When I began designing the fountain, I must admit, I knew little about Vienna. So, I did some research to pinpoint key aspects for later inspiration:
- The city is renowned for its classical music (Mozart resided there).
- There’s another impressive fountain named Pallas-Athene-Brunnen that I’d like to draw inspiration from, particularly its central column.
- In poetry, cities are frequently referred to with feminine pronouns. Incorporating a mermaid, given their association with water, might be poetic.
First Concepts
Due to the historical connection of Vienna with music I took the shape of the Grand staff to symbolize the city. It has nice rounded central shape that could be used for central part of the fountain.
![](https://urbanhacker.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/image-493x1024.png)
After quickly modeling in 3D the shape I played around and wanted to use the central circle as the main part of the fountain.
![](https://urbanhacker.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/image-1-1024x616.png)
After a few experiment with the central column to support the spiral slowly going down into the water in the central circle. While playing around I got the idea of using this shape to symbolize the pipeline carrying the water from the Alps into the city. Slowly but surely the shape started to take place.
![](https://urbanhacker.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/image-2-1024x475.png)
I then transformed the middle shape into a proper pipeline and added a mermaid at the source. Later as you will see I will flip the position of the mermaid but for now it can stay like this. I also added a series of water jet to add more details in the image and even if they are not functional and not strictly necessary they help to add realism tho the image.
![](https://urbanhacker.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/image-3-1024x589.png)
Adding More Details
The ironwork surrounding the pipeline is currently temporary, serving as a placeholder to envision the tube’s final shape. I saw this as a chance to pay tribute to the industrial efforts that fueled our cities’ prosperity. Many often overlook its significance, making it a fitting element to include in our monument.
![](https://urbanhacker.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/image-4-1024x607.png)
To emphasize the industrial theme, I opted to incorporate an industrial centrifugal pump at the pipeline’s beginning. It was then that I chose to switch the statue’s position, placing it on the opposite side, and substituted it with rocks representing the Alps, the water’s source flowing into the city.
![](https://urbanhacker.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/image-5-1024x627.png)
The monument is now close to its final design. To make it visually more interesting I quickly introduced some street furniture, such as benches and trash bins. I’ve also added two hand-powered pumps that allow people to access drinkable water. I specifically opted for hand-powered pumps to emphasize the original theme of valuing water as a precious resource.
There’s one last detail we forgot. The original design seemed to incorporate some light effects. However, they appear quite “boring” with just a basic RGB light, which didn’t quite win over our critical audience. So to make it more epic and memorable, in line with the contemporary design, we decided on a very futuristic lighting system.
![](https://urbanhacker.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/image-14-1024x601.png)
Credits
Full credits can be found on the original post