Fountain of Wealth
Encyclopedia
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
in the world. It is located in one of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
's largest shopping malls, Suntec City
Suntec City
Suntec City is a major multi-use development located in Marina Centre, a subzone of the Downtown Core Planning Area in Singapore.- Design :Suntec City was designed by Tsao & McKown Architects with emphasis on Chinese geomancy . The five buildings and the convention center are arranged so that they...
.
During certain periods of the day, the fountain is turned off and visitors are invited to walk around a mini fountain at the centre of the fountain's base for good luck. At night, the fountain is the setting for laser performances, as well as live song and laser message dedications between 8pm to 9pm daily. It is situated in such a way the fountain is the hub of the shopping mall.
History
The Fountain of Wealth was constructed in 1995, together with the main Suntec CitySuntec City
Suntec City is a major multi-use development located in Marina Centre, a subzone of the Downtown Core Planning Area in Singapore.- Design :Suntec City was designed by Tsao & McKown Architects with emphasis on Chinese geomancy . The five buildings and the convention center are arranged so that they...
development.
A symbol of wealth and life, the Fountain Of Wealth is recognized since 1998 by the Guinness Book Of World Records as the World's Largest Fountain. The bronze ring of the fountain is designed based on the Hindu Mandala, meaning universe and is a symbolic representation of the oneness in spirit and unity and further symbolizes the equality and harmony of all races and religions in Singapore.
Structure
The fountain is made of silicon bronze, and consists of a circular ring with a circumference of 66 metres supported on four large slanted columns. It occupies an area of 1683.07 square metres, with a height of 13.8m.The sand cast silicon bronze, including all formwork and patternmaking was designed,manufactured and installed by DCG Design and Meridian Projects (from Melbourne Australia) in 1995.
The base area of the fountain is 1,683 square metres. In the design plan of Suntec City, where the five tower blocks represent the finger
Finger
A finger is a limb of the human body and a type of digit, an organ of manipulation and sensation found in the hands of humans and other primates....
s and thumb
Thumb
The thumb is the first digit of the hand. When a person is standing in the medical anatomical position , the thumb is the lateral-most digit...
of a left hand
Hand
A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered extremity located at the end of an arm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs...
emerging from the ground, the fountain forms the palm of the hand.
Location
The Fountain of Wealth is located within the commercial complex of Suntec CitySuntec City
Suntec City is a major multi-use development located in Marina Centre, a subzone of the Downtown Core Planning Area in Singapore.- Design :Suntec City was designed by Tsao & McKown Architects with emphasis on Chinese geomancy . The five buildings and the convention center are arranged so that they...
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. The base of the fountain is located underground, and on its base perimeter lies the main basement restaurant area
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
of Suntec City. The circular ring top of the fountain is visible at ground level.
In popular culture
- The inward flowing water of the fountain was used for two reasons. Water is known as the symbol of life and wealth in Chinese culture, and the inward motion of the water symbolises the retention of wealth for Suntec City. According to feng shuiFeng shuiFeng shui ' is a Chinese system of geomancy believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. The original designation for the discipline is Kan Yu ....
experts (Chinese geomancers), the water flowing inwards represents riches pouring in, thus the name Fountain of Wealth.
- It is claimed that visitors to Suntec City, who walk around the central base of the Fountain three times and touching the water at all times, would gain some good luck of their own.
- When The Amazing Race 3The Amazing Race 3The Amazing Race 3 is the third installment of the reality television show, The Amazing Race. This season featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world, making it the first season to have 12 teams...
, a reality televisionReality televisionReality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
show, came to Singapore in 2002, contestants collected a clue at the fountain.
- Similarly, contestants of The Amazing Race Asia 1 also went to the fountain for a clue.
- It was featured in the Indian hit movie, KrrishKrrishKrrish is a 2006 Indian superhero science-fiction film The film was directed, produced, and written by Rakesh Roshan, while the screenplay was written by Robin Bhatt, Sachin Bhowmick, Honey Irani, Akarsh Khurana, and Sanjay Masoom. The film is a sequel to Koi.....
, when Krrish played by Hrithik RoshanHrithik RoshanHrithik Roshan is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films.After having appeared in films as a child actor in the 1980s, Roshan made his film debut in a leading role in Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai for which Roshan earned his Filmfare Awards for Best Actor and Best Male Debut...
used it as an observation point to locate the position of his Nemesis's helicopter that he is chasing.
- World famous magician, Cyril TakayamaCyril TakayamaCyril Takayama is an American-Japanese illusionist of Japanese and French descent. He is perhaps best known for his magic performances around Japan.-Early life:...
, performed some tricks on the fountain on the first episode of "Cyril : Simply Magic", which was broadcasted on AXN AsiaAXN AsiaAXN Asia is a pay-tv, cable and satellite TV channel owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment. It is available in throughout the 18 countries around the Asia-Pacific region...
, and MediaCorp Channel 5.
See also
- Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre
- Suntec City Mall