What you’re about to read is a story about superlatives and premiers. We invite you on a multisensory adventure that will tickle and pamper all of your senses. At the same time, it will make you feel as if you were present in the story yourselves, experiencing every tactile, visual, and audio treat that the water distributor Apa Nova, a Veolia company, prepared for both citizens of Romania’s capital city and also the surprised tourists.
Bucharest—or the Little Paris as the locals call it—offers a lot of wonders for the tourists to enjoy. There’s the Palace of Parliament, famous for its impressive dimensions, The Old Centre, one of the most beloved areas in the town, Herastrau Park, and much, much more is to be seen. But just recently, Apa Nova decided to add another unique destination to this list, worthy of all applause: the company gave the Unirii Square fountains back to the locals while transforming them completely. But even though they were also modernized, the aesthetic lines keep the same traditional motifs that were initially embedded on the fountains.
One century after the Great Union, Apa Nova wanted to surprise the locals with an unforgettable show. Thus, after months of hard work alongside a renowned team of architects, museographers, curators, and heraldists, the company set up a show full of lights, water, and sounds, all dedicated to Romania and Bucharest.
1.4 kilometers and almost 40 years later, the 44 fountains finally got the chance to show their true personality. Helped by the City Hall and the Water Utility Authority, the constructions nicely transformed a bunch of old piles of concrete into a one-of-a-kind Symphony of Water. Now, Bucharest, is once again shining on the tourist map, with a new point of interest.
According to Apa Nova, the chain of fountains is the first one in Europe to use the latest generation of equipment. For example, the High Speed Vario Master, a brand-new innovation of OASE Living Water, is one of the special arrangements of water that use screens to give a 3D effect, which is quite unique in even in Western Europe, says Stephan Kehren, Landscape Architect, OASE.
People who came to see a show of water got a whole lot more: an architectural concept called “Hora”, an element that surrounds the basin of the fountains and reminds the audience of the celebrations of 100 years of Romania and its traditions. Also, the design makes reference to the Cyrillic alphabet and takes inspiration in the famous ‘Cucuteni’ ceramics.
Then, there’s the German quality. Artistic innovation is yet another feature that makes this ensemble a world’s first, being based on video projection on water screens. The project is not only unique in Europe but, after Apa Nova got involved, it created worldwide records based on “short time rehabilitation, fountain scale, and architectural disposal”.
The spectacular multimedia show with ‘dancing water’ was introduced during an event that unfolded on September 20, surprising both the audience and those who were part of the unbelievable project.
Mihai Savin, Deputy General Manager at Apa Nova, who was in charge of the project, told Radio Romania International where the idea came from: “It began with a simple idea. As we know, in most major cities, fountains evoke the city’s present and past and tell their stories. They were built to amaze, in order to showcase cultural richness, creativity, inventiveness, and the dedication of their creators. This is the concept we have also used and wanted to turn this conventional idea into a multisensory experience, starting with the tridimensional approach to the project, visual, auditory, and spatial. We also wanted to put Bucharest on the tourist map as a major point, in step with the times we are living in, by evoking the values of the present, strength, color, and form.”
The concept morphed into reality thanks to Apa Nova, which initially invested around 7 million euros. The campaign generated over 500 mentions in the digital and social media environment, while the total audience reached over 67 million impressions provided by traditional media support (print, TV, radio and online).
In just 2 weeks of its existence (until the launching event) the Water Symphony Facebook page registered a total reach of 1,838,444 users. The campaign also reached an important aspect in terms of favorability. According to the water company’s report, Romania’s usually nostalgic and the suspicious journalists (who were counted at 27% in May) decreased to just 3% after the launching event (with no negative mentions of Apa Nova in any post-event articles).
“Your water. Our responsibility is the slogan of Apa Nova. A Veolia company and we are proud that we successfully and responsibly implemented this outstanding project. The fountains in Unirii Square are a symbol of the city to which we all relate and for Apa Nova it has been an honor to place its mark on one of the most ambitious urban planning projects of the past several years”, declared Mădălin Mihailovici, managing director Apa Nova, a Veolia company.
Ready to experience this amazing adventure without the need of visiting Bucharest? Immerse yourselves in a world where water, sounds, and visuals unite in a perfect symbiosis, where the shapes of water, fire, and air contour the outstanding looks of the Unirii fountains. Or just book a trip to Romania’s capital and see it for yourselves!
Credits: