For millennia, the river has been a vital site of connection, trade, and ecology. The current Peace Fountain floats on the Detroit River; however, this results in several technical challenges due to the constant changes in the river.
River's Edge
The Boardwalk rings the belvedere at Reaume Park and reimagines the relationship between the public and the Detroit River. It serves as a flood barrier, limiting flooding in parts of the Park caused by the river's high water levels.
Public Space
The Boardwalk reinvigorates the belvedere around the bay at Reaume Park, introducing a new fountain that also serves to improve the plaza itself. The Boardwalk replaces the existing guardrail around the bay with a new fountain infrastructure housed in a series of precast concrete enclosures.
Interactions
Interactive stations around the bay will allow the visitors to control a certain part of the fountain. Through contact with the guardrail, their heartbeat will also translate into fountain effect. The luminous installation within the floor surface will react to the people’s presence as well.
Elements
The Boardwalk replaces the existing guardrail around the bay with a new fountain infrastructure housed in a series of repeating precast concrete enclosures. They house all the fountain nozzles and pipes.
Infrastructure
The existing service building would be expanded to house the pumps and new programming equipment for the fountain and lighting.
Designed and Built in Ontario
Lighting
Outdoor Comfort
The proximity of the Boardwalk fountain to the plaza presents an outdoor comfort advantage where mist can cool fountain visitors. Wind will affect the extent and location of misting effects. Excess fountain spray caused by wind may be mitigated by decreasing the height of water jets and by using wind sensors to limit the use of nozzles facing the wind. Approximately 25% of operating hours are likely to experience wind speeds above 6.5 m/s which may be too strong for full fountain operation.
