Plug-in Fountain

There is a fountain in Cologne‘s Rathenauplatz. The fountain is not a natural well; the water is supplied by the city‘s water pipes with the help of an electric pump. The pump itself is driven by electricity generated from a closed photovoltaic system. Curiously enough, this solar power fountain has never really worked: the city government has closed the fountain for cost reasons.

In 2011, I appealed to the Cultural Department of the City of Cologne with proposal to convert the broken solar power fountain into a public multiple socket. The collected solar energy should simply be offered for the benefit of the public. The power line should be branched into several lines within the fountain housing. Several sockets should be drawn from the mouth of the fountain, giving the fountain the appearance of an overflowing water source. Anyone may use these sockets for everyday needs. Electricity is always in demand. It may be used to recharge laptops, mobile phones, MP3 players, or any other electronic device.

The proposal was rejected by the Rathenauplatz district office without giving any reasons.