(Cover Photo Copyright: Stadt Zwickau)

Fountains, water features, basins – water is a point of attraction in both public and non-public spaces.

Even in earlier times, fountains had a social function: this is where people fetched water, washed their laundry and met other people. Water basins and water plays, on the other hand, had more of a design and entertaining character – for example, in the geometric garden art of the Renaissance. In the meantime, fountains, at least in our latitudes, have also become predominantly decorative in nature. But even in what today seems to be merely decorative, there is still something useful, for water contributes to improving the microclimate. Last but not least, in many hotter regions, fountains and water basins can be found in patios and gardens to lower temperatures at least slightly through evaporative cooling.

However, the climate is not our topic here, and not even the construction of fountains or basins, but water in combination with light and drainage. Drainlight combines drainage channels and cover gratings with LED lighting.

The fully encapsulated LED light lines delicately frame fountains and water basins. Like the channels and gratings, they are available in straight or curved versions. The radius is freely selectable and thus adapts perfectly to the contour of the object. Water features can be accentuated with LED spotlights integrated into stainless steel drains. Additional effects can be created using RGB LEDs with a DMX interface. Grates and channels are available in roll-over/traversable versions and with pavable revision boxes.

This turns fountains and basins into special eye-catchers as a few examples show.

(Photo Copyright: Stadt Zwickau)

Eye-catcher for refreshment: For the 900th anniversary of the city, the city of Zwickau has given a highlight in the old town with the support of sponsors and the ”Urban Protection Monument” program.

A play of water and light winds its way through the main market, suggesting the shape of the city logo. It combines stainless steel drainage channels, covered with linear gratings, with integrated LED light lines and nine illuminated water fountains in the form of drain boxes with water nozzles and LED spotlights.

While in the evening the coloured light is the eye-catcher for passers-by, the fountains are also used for a little cooling on hot days.

(Photo Copyright: Peter von Pigage | TTC Timmler Technology)

Eye-catcher in the inner courtyard: In the middle of Düsseldorfs old town sits the former district and regional court, a listed building from the Wilhelmine era. After the revitalization of the building, you can find now an exclusive residential estate.

(Photo Copyright: TTC Timmler Technology /1, 2/ | Peter von Pigage /3/)

The highlight inside the inner courtyard is an oval basin, subtly illuminated with a curved light line in combination with drainage channels and cover grids made of stainless steel. Gutters and gratings have the same look on the passages and façades, terraces and balconies. In addition, slotted channels ensure optimal surface drainage.

Oh – and sometimes the eye-catcher may also be just » a lesser light «.

Published on February 1, 2023