The Ještědský bronze foundry in Liberec is completing a new water feature for Brno

Mníšek - At the Ještědský bronze foundry in Mníšek, Liberec region, the construction of a new water feature for Dominican Square in Brno is nearing completion, based on the design by Tomáš Pavlacký and Michael Gabriel. The bronze sculpture consists of three differently sized flattened cones resembling funnels, from which water will spout or mist will rise at certain intervals. It is essentially an endless perspective of flowing water pipes, said one of the authors, Brno sculptor Tomáš Pavlacký, to ČTK today.

Pavlacký works with various 3D technologies in his creations, which has also reflected in the case of the water feature for Dominican Square. The individual cones have layers, as if they were printed from bronze on a giant 3D printer. "But it also has other functions; it is a water feature, it is a system for water jets, water will spray under pressure to one side and that pressure will push it over the top arch and then it will drain down the visible outer side. And there will also be a nozzle with water misting," Pavlacký described the function of the water feature.

The individual parts of the bronze sculpture are assembled from pieces and are hollow. "The technology that made it possible to materialize from bronze was important," said the artist. According to Pavlacký, the foundry in Mníšek was the closest verified foundry capable of casting parts into sand molds. They cut the model, created sand molds based on the individual parts, and then produced the castings. The smallest of the funnels is assembled and welded from eight pieces, the largest from about 35. Each of the cones then had to be hand-sanded and polished to its final shape.

Today in Mníšek, they completed the last of the three bronze parts of the water feature, with welders working on the largest funnel, which stands over two and a half meters tall and weighs nearly a ton. Two smaller cones are already finished, and they were completing the green patina on one of them today. "It would take ten years to achieve such a patina outdoors; moreover, natural patina is deceptive, it creates stripes, so this coloration is even from the beginning and uniform," explained Karel Pour, the manager of the foundry, the reasons for patination.

They have about 12 days left to finish the piece at the foundry, and they should transport the finished work to Brno by June 20. After that, it will be installed at Dominican Square, which has been waiting for the water feature since the completion of the renovation in 2018. The Brno city hall has repeatedly announced a competition for the water feature because the original winning design did not appeal to the city leadership. Pavlacký and Gabriel won the design competition for the water feature in 2021 and received 18 months to complete it.

The water feature is intended to enhance the stay in the square, especially on hot summer days, as the trees planted there are still small. Otherwise, the square is covered with continuous paving. According to Pavlacký, the work could be operational by the first half of August.