Keller Fountain is more than a design phenomenon. It is a public amenity. In the middle of the city, one finds children swimming, families cooling off, dreamers strolling, and poets dreaming.

With so much talk of transportation efficiency, it is important to remember that urban amenities, insomuch as they bring that which is desired into the city, are über-efficient. While Ski Dubai may seem extravagant - is it more extravagant than traveling half way across the world to ski on real snow on a real mountain?

Keller Fountain is our Ski Dubai. It is our mountain stream right in the city.

Thanks for the thought.
In an effort to harness the evaporative loss of the water, it is interesting to think about building a transparent dome over it, hence turning it into a downtown indoor jungle-like setting. The water could be pumped using some electricity from solar panels and also could be filtered using "Living Machines" i.e. relatively low-tech biofilters. Nearby stormwater could be used to replenish any water lost.

Posted by: Jeff Holiman on July 9, 2007 10:47 PM