News

Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec bring the Champs-Elysées fountains back to life.

Paris, 12 March 2019 – A new life has begun for the fountains of the Rond-Point des Champs-Elysées.

Designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec have thus produced a design for this famous Rond-Point, which is both a spectacular and poetical interweaving of water, light and movement. After three years of work, from preliminary sketches through to full-scale tests, the new Fontaines des Champs-Elysées have just been fitted into place.

This restoration has been completed by a remarkable artistic creation (and genuine technological feat) by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, worthy of the significant role that the Champs-Elysées plays in the heritage, aesthetic and emotional landscape of Paris. Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec designed six structures consisting of a 13m-high central mast in bronze, which supports a series of crystal light hangings through which the water f lows and falls. The whole structure rotates very slowly, at the same pace as passing pedestrians, and glistens like light in motion accompanied by the play of water.

“We had to find the right balance for this design between a monumental and airy structure, in order to blend into the urban landscape, to highlight as delicately as possible the view between Place de la Concorde and Place de l’Etoile and to subtly mark the passage from the peace and quiet of the gardens to the bustle of the Avenue des Champs-Elysées. Our greatest wish for this project was to bring to the heart of the urban landscape, in an open and popular site, a highly ambitious creation in terms of both aesthetics and technicality. It was a real pleasure to bring together a unique collective of expertise and craft excellence, from workers to engineers, at the service of a creation which now belongs to everyone” said Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec during the unveiling of the new Fountains.

Each mast is anchored to a steel chassis weighing more than two tonnes and a system of rotating parts makes the fountains revolve. A total of 40 companies and more than 250 people participated in the design and building of the Fountains to produce these technological wonders on a par with the most complex of aeronautic works or timepieces. This ambitious creation, which should mark a milestone in the development of the city’s urban landscape, is a testament to the commitment of Paris to the future of the Champs-Elysées as an iconic landmark of the city’s attractiveness and renown.

LBI and its employees are very proud to have participated in the construction of these fountains by supplying all the masts, assembly of hollow tubes in Aluminium-Bronze (NAB or CuAl alloy) manufactured thanks to centrifugal casting technique used at the Amnéville foundry shop. In addition to casting the tubes, LBI also carried out their machining and complete assembly.

If you have monumental art sculpture projects, let us know your needs or wishes, our teams will be able to advise you.