visiondivision: storm flipper

rendering of  ‘storm flipper’ in use all renderings by andres morelli

‘storm flipper’ is a competition entry for a new drinking fountain prototype in london parks. proposed by swedish architecture studio visiondivision, the concept presents an image of bad weather, turned upside down, creating a new icon for the public drinking fountain.

the overturned umbrella acts as the water basin. the raindrops are its structural support as well as water pipes, with the cloud standing as its base. a lightning bolt extending from the cloud is illuminated during the night. rainy weather is a suitable image for both a drinking fountain and the city of london, meant to attract many thirsty park visitors.

bad weather turned upside down

diagram of parts

‘storm flipper’ is constructed from vertical metal pipes with drops mounted on them to hold the structure. the pipes’ dimensions are different depending on their function – the outer ones are more for structural purposes, and the actual water pipe is a bit thicker due to factors such as vandalism. the basin is made of a plastic and the base is cast and polished concrete with drilled holes for assembly of the pipes underneath its base. materials can be altered after consultation depending on cost and durability.

‘storm flipper’

the umbrella basins come in an endless assortment of patterns and colors. no mater how they look, they are still unmistakably recognized as umbrellas. therefore, the drinking fountains can be carried out in a variety of ways, without losing their familiarity as an object. different styles and images can be selected according to the various park locations, resulting in a great number of different fountain types. the bad weather module can also be done in a divided edition, also making it wall-mountable.

possible pattern and corporate variations