On March 11, 2017, the Urbanistic Center held an open discussion meeting on the «Restoration of Almaty Fountains» dedicated to the overhaul of three fountains in the central part of the city, as part of the «Comfortable City» program.
Sketch projects were prepared and presented by Gradcenter. The presentation presented sketch projects on the restoration of the fountains «Semirechje» (on Abay Avenue), «Conversation point» (on the Jibek-Zholy street) and a fountain at the hotel «Kazakhstan«.
«Semirechje» Fountain
The Fountain was built in 1971. It is located on Tulebayev Street, below Abay Avenue. It is a cascade of three water mirrors with sloping and vertical jets. Seven springs represent the seven rivers of the Semirechje (Zhetysu). In the center of the composition there is a stele of pink and black granite with elements of national ornament.
«Conversation point» (on the Jibek-Zholy street)
The Jibek-Zholy street is one of the oldest streets of the southern capital of Kazakhstan. It appeared in 1883 and was the first stone-paved street. The paved pedestrian part of it - from Abylay Khan Avenue to Furmanov Street, is called «Arbat» where the fountain «Conversation Point» is located.
Fountain at the Kazakhstan Hotel
Initially, the fountain was built for foreign tourists staying in a hotel in Kazakhstan. The fountain is located near the Palace of the Republic. The facility was built in 1979.
A representative of Gradcenter said that new pumping equipment will be installed and engineering networks will be changed, which are designed to take into account the time of day, lighting program and musical accompaniment. The intensity of the fountains will depend on the outside temperature. For example, during the summer heat fountains will work more intensively and vice versa, in cool weather the intensity will decrease.
The issues of the functionality of fountains and the inclusion of new elements such as fencing, additional benches and even holding free Wi-Fi proved to be controversial.
On the overhaul of the fountain near the hotel in Kazakhstan, participants proposed additional lighting and decoration elements. As a result of the discussion, the participants decided that existing exterior designs and finishing materials should be preserved.
As for the fountain «Semirechje» on Tulebayev Street, it is also important to preserve the fountain and materials, replacing the elements that have fallen into disrepair.
The same comments were received regarding the Fountain of the «Conversation Point» on Arbat. Given the upcoming reconstruction of Arbat was noted about the need to preserve a single architectural style with a fountain.
Each of the selected fountains has its own unique historical architecture and requires an individual approach. During the discussion, the participants agreed that the original concept and architectural heritage should be preserved.
The first fountain appeared in the southern capital in 1948. Today there are about 125 fountains in Almaty. Their task is to irrigate green spaces and create a favorable microclimate. However, over time, any equipment, no exception and fountain, wears out.
The submitted projects are inconclusive and require refinement. The meeting allowed to thoroughly analyze the task and get comments from active citizens.
