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Look: Artistic drinking fountains at Expo 2020 inspired by traditional Emirati 'sabeel'

The fountains are operating with enhanced health and safety measures, including the integration of hands-free sensor taps

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by

A Staff Reporter

Published: Fri 5 Nov 2021, 1:30 PM

Last updated: Fri 5 Nov 2021, 2:22 PM

Eye-catching drinking fountains have been unveiled at Expo 2020 Dubai - and they're not just there to quench thirst.

The Sabeel Fountains, a series of almost 40 contemporary fountains, invite millions of visitors to discover the centuries-old tradition of how, through public drinking fountains, Emiratis share their water with people in need.

The fountains are artistic interpretations of the traditional Emirati drinking fountain - sabeel. One fountain at the Expo is designed to resemble a beautiful letterbox, complete with an embossed letter by its artist, while another features a mini 'natural world'. They all reflect the country's heritage and its spirit of hospitality, tolerance and generosity.

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The initiative is a collaboration between Expo 2020 and Art Jameel that began in September 2019, with the Sabeel 2020 open call. The design contest received more than 100 proposals and was overseen by an internationally renowned jury.

The winning designs by UAE-based creative studio Architecture + Other Things and design team Faissal El-Malak and Alia Bin Omair.

Their designs, 'Water in the Green' and 'Nahel', are collectively known as Signature Fountains, which have reproduced. A total of 37 fountains can be spotted throughout public space at Expo 2020.

Water in the Green combines robust materials with plants that highlight the world fair's aim to be the most sustainable World Expo in history, while Nahel features motifs of humankind, nature and technology connecting in harmony, illustrating Expo’s sub-themes of 'Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability'.

Two contemporary artists were also invited to create iconic larger drinking fountains, known as 'Artistic Fountains'.

Nasir Nasrallah's 'Letter to Water' can be seen as a love letter to water, while Dana Awartani's 'The Well' resembles a stone well.

Marjan Faraidooni, chief experience officer at Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “Through these beautiful and innovatively designed drinking fountains, we invite visitors to take a moment to pause as they quench their thirst and consider their own connection to this most precious resource. The Sabeel Fountains also offer an unmissable opportunity for the public to discover UAE and regional design talent.”

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Antonia Carver, director, Art Jameel, said: “Water – and water and food futures – are embedded within our curatorial threads, shaped by a number of long-term, multi-year themes that manifest in commissions, among many other initiatives.”

The fountains will leave a lasting impact as part of the next Expo 2020's legacy, living on after the world fair's doors close as part of the human-centric future city of District 2020.

The Sabeel Fountains are operating with enhanced health and safety measures, including the integration of hands-free sensor taps into all of the designs instead of push buttons, and the incorporation of bottle filler taps in lieu of bubblers.

A Staff Reporter

Published: Fri 5 Nov 2021, 1:30 PM

Last updated: Fri 5 Nov 2021, 2:22 PM

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