Urban visual identity

Urban visual identity

From recognizing the character of the place to designing a lasting sign

5–1. visual identity; What makes a place recognizable

Some urban spaces can be recognized by seeing a picture. The shape of the buildings, the skyline, materials, colors or an indicator give a clue to the identity of that place. The fountain can also contribute to this picture; Especially when its form, placement and manner of presence have a clear relationship with the characteristics of the environment.

In this book, the visual identity of a fountain is defined as the set of features that give it a recognizable character: geometry, the shape of water movement, its relationship with architecture, visible materials, lighting, and the combination of these elements over time.

Place identity has a wider scope and includes history, culture, daily activities and people's memories. Designing a fountain can turn part of this identity into a visual and auditory experience.

To begin the design, there is a guiding question: if the name of the project and the surrounding signs are removed from the picture, what feature shows the relationship of this fountain with its location?

The answer may be in the geometry taken from the city's gardens, the connection with a landmark building, local materials or a narrative of people's lives. This answer should be visible in the design decisions.

Figure note from the source manuscript

Figure 1–5: An enlarged view of one of the GSO projects showing the fountain and surrounding architecture in one frame. Suggested subtitle: "The character of the fountain is formed by the relationship between the water form and the features of the place."

5–2. Knowing the place before choosing the form

Identity-based design begins with gathering information about the location. Field observation, study of reliable sources and dialogue with space users are three complementary paths for this knowledge.

It is suggested to check the information in five groups:

• History and culture: neighborhood background, events, arts and local narratives.

• Architecture and landscape: geometry, scale, materials, landmark views and skyline.

• Nature and climate: land slope, vegetation, wind, radiation, and characteristics of water sources.

• Daily life: the presence of people, times of use and surrounding activities.

• Expectation of the future: the role that the employer intends for this space in the development of the city.

Each data must be recorded along with the source and the amount of credit. A local narrative may be valuable for ideation, but when presenting publicly it should be clear whether the narrative is oral or documented fact.

Knowing the location also helps to choose the role of the fountain. In the vicinity of a historical monument, it may be appropriate to emphasize the reflection and association with the monument. At the entrance of a new complex, the fountain can play a more significant role in introducing the place. This role must be clarified before determining the height of the fountains and the number of effects.

5–3. From local feature to design decision

Between recognizing a feature and turning it into a design, there is a stage of interpretation. For example, knowing the history of gardening in a city still does not determine the final form of the fountain. The designer must specify which spatial relationship or quality of the background he wants to recreate in the project.

The table below suggests some possible paths for this translation. These items are not a fixed version of the design and should be evaluated with the project conditions.

The use of a concept can continue in several project components. If "extension" is the main idea, this idea can be present in the geometry of the pond, the walkway, the arrangement of light and the movement of water. Such coordination should be compatible with technical performance and maintainability.

Figure note from the source manuscript

Figure 2-5: A screen containing three frames: "Inspiration", "Geometry Extraction" and "Fountain Design". An example can start from a documented native role and reach a conceptual arrangement of nozzles. Caption: "Transforming a local feature into a set of design decisions."

5–4. Iranian garden; Inspired by the organization of water and space

In introducing the Iranian garden, UNESCO emphasizes the link between geometry, water management, architecture and vegetation. In this heritage, water has both a practical function and participates in the formation of the spatial quality and beauty of the garden. Source: UNESCO, Iranian Garden ^[25]

The design of this book draws from that heritage, paying attention to the way the elements are related: where the water is seen from, what path it defines, how it goes with the change of level, and what is its relationship with the building and the trees.

In a contemporary project, the axis of vision can be strengthened with the stretch of water, the image of the building can be reflected on the smooth surface, or the difference in level can be turned into a part of the experience of water movement. The choice of each one should be in harmony with the user, climate and resources of the project.

Also, paying attention to the knowledge of water management in Iranian heritage can turn into questions about consumption, recirculation, access for cleaning and durability of materials in today's design. In this way, historical inspiration will also be present in the quality of project performance.

To introduce the plan to the employer, it is better to show the source of inspiration and the resulting decision side by side. This allows the alleged relationship with Iranian architecture to be investigated.

5–5. Water form, scale and relationship with architecture

Water can appear as a surface, a line, a column, a curtain, or a series of successive movements. Each of them creates a different relationship with the environment and should be examined from real points of view.

To organize the design, it is suggested to define a main form and a set of supporting elements. The main form should be recognizable in the overview; Other elements can make up the details of the experience in close-up or during the show.

The choice of scale is not limited to the size of the pond. The height of the surrounding buildings, the distance between the spectators, the width of the field, the presence of trees and the view from the entryways also play a role in it. The design that can be read in the aerial image may have a different composition from the height of the passing eye.

In this book, "magnificence" is examined as a design objective, with proportion, clarity of composition, and quality of execution. High height is one of the possibilities of expressing this goal; Wide reflective surface, water extension or coordination of movements can also be considered.

Before the form is fixed, the design should be seen from three positions: distant, approach path and stopping place. Then the possibility of realizing it should be checked according to the wind, spraying range, hydraulic requirement and maintenance.

Figure note from the source manuscript

Figure 3–5: Three conceptual views of a fountain in the “distant”, “entry” and “seat”. Human perspective should be maintained and hypothetical heights should not be provided as executive specifications.

5–6. Materials and colors per day

An important part of the fountain's personality can be seen in daylight. Edges, floors, grills, metal parts, walls and their connection to the area are present in the project image even when it is turned off.

It is suggested that before the final selection, a limited set of material samples should be put together and observed in dry and wet conditions. The color and texture of materials should be evaluated in relation to water, architecture and natural light.

For surfaces in contact with people or water, appearance selection should be accompanied by performance considerations. The conditions of sliding, sedimentation, cleaning, corrosion, freezing and access to parts become important depending on the project. The specifications of these items will be determined in the technical chapters.

Executive details are also effective in the quality of visual identity. The order of the straps, the coordination of the vents with the floor and the way the equipment is seen should be specified in the drawings. Hiding equipment is also valuable when servicing and repairing it is still practical.

In GSO projects, photos of the construction stage and the final result can be used to show the role of these details in the quality of the work.

5–7. light and movement; Continuity of character at night

Lighting should define the relationship of the fountain with the night environment. It is necessary to be clear which part is the center of attention, which parts have an accompanying role and how the surrounding views and paths are seen in the composition.

The proposal of this book is to compile a "light palette" for each project: a set of selected colors and modes that are in harmony with the design concept and materials. This palette should be tested on site; Showing color on the drawing board is no substitute for seeing it on water against a real background.

The movement of water can also have a specific language. Smooth sequence, wave motion, symmetry, mutual response of two groups of nozzles or gradual change of height are different possibilities. Their choice should be related to the main concept of the plan.

To maintain consistency, three situations can be recorded in the design guide:

• Everyday mode: basic and repeatable effect of the project.

• Main show: programmed combination of water, light and if needed music.

• Occasional mode: limited and defined changes appropriate to the event.

In each situation, the limits of the changes should be clear so that future programs maintain the original features of the design. Night quality is also evaluated in terms of glare, passerby's visibility and connection with the neighborhood; Calculation details will come in the lighting chapter.

5–8. Three examples to understand the different paths of identification

Geneva; An index form related to the history of the city

SIG, the operator and owner of Jet d'Eau, attributes its origin to the release of excess pressure in a hydraulic system. This fountain was later moved to a city landmark and is known as the symbol of Geneva in the official SIG introduction. Source: SIG, History of Jet d'Eau ^[26]

The concept of design is to pay attention to the link between the recognizable form, the place in the landscape and the historical story. This example shows that studying the history of a facility can also be a part of knowing the city's identity.

Chicago; The presence of people in the image of the work

In the introduction to Crown Fountain on Jaume Plensa's website, the representation of the faces of Chicago residents on the towers and the concept of communication and dialogue are explained. In this project, the people of the city are part of the visual content of the work. Source: Jaume Plensa, Crown Fountain ^[27]

The lesson of this example for design is the possibility of paying attention to the human identity of the place. Using people's image or narrative in any project requires participation process, people's consent and content maintenance plan.

Dubai; Converting the concept to the behavior of water and sound

In the World Voices work in Burj Khalifa's residential lobby, Jaume Plensa, in collaboration with Crystal Fountains, uses a combination of cymbal-like elements and controlled drops of water to create sound patterns. In the description of the project, the diversity of the global community is introduced as the concept of the work. Source: Crystal Fountains, World Voices ^[28]

This example is on the scale of the interior space, but it is important for the identity discussion: the concept of the design can be expressed through the behavior of water and sound. In such an approach, the selection and arrangement of equipment directly serves the artistic experience.

Figure note from the source manuscript

Figure 4-5: Three documentary images of the above examples, along with the name of the work, city, creator and origin of the image. Select licensed images for printing; The production image should not be placed in place of the documentary photo of these works.

5–9. A conceptual example for converting identity into design

To clarify the process, we consider a hypothetical project: a pedestrian square in a city with a history of gardening, adjacent to a cultural building and with family activities in the evenings.

The proposed concept is "extension of the garden in the public space". This title should be translated into concrete decisions:

In this example, the design idea is not yet an implementation plan. Dimensions, nozzle type, height, flow and equipment are determined after checking the actual conditions. Wind restrictions or repair access may cause changes to the original form; In this case, it should be checked how the original concept continues in the modified plan.

Figure note from the source manuscript

Figure 5-5: Conceptual image of the hypothetical square with a blue axis, a cultural monument in the background and seating points on the sides. Mandatory subtitle: "Educational conceptual study; The project has not been implemented."

5–10. From a fountain to a family of urban spaces

The municipality may have several fountains in different neighborhoods and uses. To create a connection between them, a set of common principles can be defined: the quality of the materials, the selected details, the way of naming, the language of the panels or part of the light palette.

In this approach, each project adapts to the scale and use of the place. Neighborhood park fountain, main square and tourism center can have common features, while their form and usage plan are different.

It is suggested to determine the position of each fountain in the city scale: the main sign, accompanying architectural element or community space of the neighborhood. This division of roles helps to decide on the budget, intensity of the show and the way the projects are presented.

Naming and introduction should also be consistent. The name, official spelling, brief explanation of the concept and the correct attribution of the designer and executive should be recorded in the same board, map and official media.

5–11. How to evaluate the design and maintain its identity?

Design evaluation should be done before construction and after operation. In the design phase, it is recommended to compare options with similar presentation quality; The difference in rendering quality should not replace the difference in design quality.

The following questions can be the basis of investigation:

• What specific data or feature is the relationship between the plan and the place obtained?

• The main concept is seen in which design decisions?

• How is the design seen from the height of the eye of a passer-by and a person sitting?

• What is the quality of day, night and blackout time?

• Are the necessary changes for implementation and maintenance foreseen in the plan?

• Do local users get the impression the designer expected?

Users' answers may differ from the designer's explanation. Recording this difference provides an opportunity to modify the introduction, enclosure, or show schedule. The recognizability of the work is also better measured over time; A newly opened project does not yet have a long presence in the city's memory.

In order to preserve the characteristics of the design, it is suggested to prepare a "Water Fountain Identity Guide" along with the delivery documents. This guide can record the main forms of water, the basic plan, the light palette, the materials, the selected details and the limits of the allowed changes. Changing the lamp, nozzle or control program should be done by referring to these documents.

In the file of GSO projects, next to the final photo, a page should be placed containing "location characteristics, design concept, technical decision and execution result". This page shows the reader how the character of the work came from the knowledge of the place to the choice of engineering.

With the end of this chapter, the first part of the book about the value and position of the urban fountain is completed. Chapter 6 is dedicated to the classification of fountains and introduces the types of systems based on form, location, control method and type of communication with users.

Typology and fountain selection