project description :

Briefly describe your physical experience of the Kulturpark Plänterwald -- Spreewald in Berlin :

I had never been to the park before so I cycled to Treptow one day to have a look. Circumnavigating the site to find a way in to the massive derelict structures we eventually found the main entrance. It was closed. Only open at the weekend… we found a hole in the fence we went in..derelict sadness of a ance majestic amusement park surrounded us…..we find the man in his caravan asked him a few questions…he answered politely and then told us to leave…we left passing again the lonely abandoned structures screaming at us for love and attention.

A description of your interest in the park :

Parks are for the general public, Amusement Parks have that special edge that the public go there to be amused. Spreepark/Kulturbahn can and should do that again.

Tell us about your project vision :

49 small brushless low voltage DC motors with propellar blades are suspended 10cm below surface of pond water.

Motors are arranged in concentric circle formation. Sketch 002

When motors are switched via a switch panel they force water up and disturb the surface water. When motors are switch in opposite direction they pull water down and form small vortices in pond surface.

Motor switching will be interactive. The control panel consists of 49 photodiodes that react to light then switch relays when the public interact.

Various patterns can be formed in the surface of the pond depending on how the public conduct the choreography. The ponds flat surface is sculpted.

Brushless DC motors can run in water without any waterproofing needed. The low voltages used, 12vdc, is absolutely safe in these water conditions. There are various methods to secure motors in position but can only be decided on by a site visit.

Describe your sketches :

Sketch 001 : shows a pond near the big wheel. In the foreground there is the control panel, this will be interactive. The dotes in the sketch represent submerged motors.

Sketch 002 : shows a plan view of the motor arrangment

Sketch 003 : shows a side view of motors below water surface. And the effect of how rotation affects water behavior