Show fountain

Public space - Beijing

Project highlights

Uninterrupted aesthetics due to adjustable water level, which makes elements disappear

Customised rhythm control developed for the customer

Considerations for winter temperatures and their effects on a shallow water reservoir

The mission

A new landmark for Beijing

The Wangjing SOHO Towers in Beijing are a trio of curved towers reminiscent of futuristic mountains or upright pebbles. The smooth shapes of this unique design style by Zaha Hadid Architects reflect the flow of the city and change dynamically, depending on the angle they are viewed from. OASE's task was to add to the building ensemble in two respects. The aim from the moment it opened was for the fountain to become a new highlight and make the area a trendy business centre of Beijing From a conceptual point of view, a water feature should follow the flow of the buildings and adjacent parks and act as a connecting element, extending beyond their borders.

Fantasy meets reality

The first phase of the tender process provided specific ideas and plans about how exactly the water feature was to be integrated into the buildings' concept. The second phase of the tender process, when OASE entered the project, consisted of detailed questions that focused on how to realise the ideas that had been approved: How can the water feature match the imposing presence of the building in terms of height? And how do you adjust the water level of a shallow reservoir to your liking, in order to hide the elements of the fountain system beneath the water when the fountain is idle and to maintain the water level while the fountain is in operation despite water being pumped in?

The installation

Maximum output thanks to maximum input

The specific objectives of the tender process could only be achieved with a customised solution and by converting entirely to using OASE components in order to implement the water show concept. For the desired breakthrough in fountain height, strong pumps and special effects using fountains with a steam explosion feature were required. However, these large-volume devices require a lot of space and transfer a lot of water very quickly. In order to hide them under water and simultaneously adjust the water level in the shallow reservoir in real time, a special water storage tank was designed. This tank receives its control information through sensitive water level monitoring and programming adapted to the operation of the fountain.

Meticulous joint effort for the best possible result

When it came to possible water choreographies, the customer had very clear ideas about what the Wangjing SOHO fountain system should eventually be capable of. From the outset, the customer was involved in the creation of the conversion plan and inspected the software level tests with an extremely high level of attention to detail. The OASE teams specialises in high demands and technical challenges such as these and were therefore ultimately able to accomplish unique rhythm programming. The result of this implementation was a highly complex pipeline system with a total length of 316 metres, which was demonstrated in advance using 3D animation. This method was far from standard in 2014 and ensured that the installation was completed without any issues.

The successes

In harmony with Beijing

The meticulous development and implementation in Beijing has resulted in one of OASE's most atmospheric water shows to date. Energetic rhythms put spectators in an upbeat and excited mood. These rhythms are intercepted by gracefully dancing water curtains. In the valley of the Wangjing SOHO Towers, the fountain forms the body of water that sometimes flows like a waterfall, sometimes burbles quietly like a stream. True to traditional Chinese aesthetics, it spreads harmony and tells of the return of culture in the midst of a modern business district.

All eyes on Wangjing

The OASE water show has helped to greatly increase the popularity of the entire Wangjing area. It has quickly become an inseparable part of the business district that everyone knows in Beijing today. Visitors to the new hotspot enquire specifically about the start times of the water shows in advance, so that they don't miss anything. As they marvel at Beijing's new landmark, they take pictures and videos – as personal mementos or to post on various social media platforms. TikTok hosts more than 8 million videos about Wangjing SOHO, including over 9000 videos of the unique show fountain alone.

Project fact sheet

Project name	Wangjing SOHO
Country	China
City/region/area	Peking
Year of completion	2014
Type of water	Pool water
Location	Public space
Benefits	Show/Entertainment
Fountain type	Show fountain
Height of installation	30 m
Size and shape of the fountain pool	80 m x 35 m
Fountain effects	Single Jets Multi Jets Transformer Jets  WaterFan
Records	SOHO Best Partner Award
Services	Design Manufacturing Show & Choreograph Project Management Project Engineering Installation Components Supply Aftersales Service
In collaboration with	ECOLAND/Zaha Hadid Architecture

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