Jet d'eau
Jet d'eau | |
---|---|
The Jet d'eau in the morning light | |
place | Geneva , Canton of Geneva |
country | Switzerland |
use | fountain |
Technical specifications | |
height | up to 140 m |
Coordinates | |
location | Coordinates: 46 ° 12 '26 " N , 6 ° 9' 22" E ; CH1903: 501018 / 118118 501018 / 118118 |
The Jet d'eau [ ʒɛ do ] ( French for water jet ) is a fountain in Lake Geneva with a water jet up to 140 meters high. It is one of the landmarks of the city of Geneva .
history
Originally only a few meters high, the fountain served as a pressure relief valve in the function of a water lock for the pressurized water pipeline built in 1885 for the Forces Motrices de la Coulouvrenière power station , with which the Geneva jewelers operated their machines. As a result, unwanted peaks during work interruptions were caught and the overpressure displayed.
In 1891 the city of Geneva decided to move the large fountain into the lake basin as a tourist landmark and to increase the water pressure . In 1951 the current system was built, which has two pumps with a total output of approx. 1000 kW . It emits 500 liters of sea water per second at a speed of 200 km / h.
Operating times
Jan - Mar | Dec | Apr - mid May | Mid Sep - Oct | Mid-May - mid-Sep | Nov |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
10: 00-16: 00 | Mon – Fri 10 a.m. – sunset, Sat – Sun 10 a.m. – 10.30 p.m. |
09: 00-23: 15 | Out of service (maintenance work) |
- The fountain is illuminated in the dark.
- The fountain is switched off when the wind blows or temperatures around freezing point .
Similar constructions
- In Aarau , a water fountain of this kind was also created on the south bank of the Aare, based on the model of the Geneva Jet d'eau in 2005 .
- Similarly, the privately financed Hamburg Alster fountain , which is 60 meters high, is inspired by the Jet d'eau (1986).
- In 1968 a fountain was put into operation in Halle an der Saale .
- The Captain James Cook Memorial in Canberra , which also includes a water fountain, has existed since 1970 .
- The highest fountain in the world has been the King Fahd's Fountain in Saudi Arabia since 1985 with up to 312 meters.