Journey to the secrets of the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc

BarcelonaDragging down Barcelona's Avinguda Maria Cristina on Tuesday was like traveling back in time. The abundant water from the springs and waterfalls (currently being tested) along the entire avenue that connects Plaça Espanya with the Puig and Cadafalch columns transported one back to a time before the three-year drought that has plagued Catalonia. Last year's rains have filled reservoirs and allowed the Catalan capital's fountains to reopen, a process that will reach its climax this Wednesday when, in conjunction with the La Mercè festival, the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc returns to full operation.

Hours before its launch, a multitude of workers continued making final adjustments and checking that everything is working correctly on Tuesday. The ARA has been able to access the engine room, from where you can observe the operation of this work designed by Carles Buïgas for the 1929 Universal Exposition. Almost a hundred years later, the mechanism that allowed—at a time when there were no colored lights yet—the water to be illuminated with different colors continues to amaze.

That system, which is still in place today, consists of more than 100 skylights located underwater and spread throughout the fountain. Behind these are 120 pentagonal prisms with colored crystals that rotate to create different hues in the water. This effect, combined with the various spurts, allows the Magic Fountain to offer more than 7,000 possible combinations of colors and shapes.

54 meters high

This is possible thanks to the different options offered by the nozzles and springs. In the case of the former, their diverse designs make the water emerge in a more pulverized form (resembling a cloud of air vapor) or more emulsified, creating a larger volume in motion. As for the springs, they allow the water jets to be emitted with greater or lesser power, reaching a maximum height of 54 meters. However, to achieve these heights, all the power must be concentrated in a maximum of three springs.

Taking advantage of the drought-related shutdown, Barcelona City Council has made some improvements to the fountain, which had not undergone a control system upgrade since the 1990s. It now features a more advanced technological system that provides greater "flexibility, robustness, and operational reliability," according to the council. Furthermore, the 4,760 incandescent white light bulbs have been replaced with 680 LED bulbs, thereby reducing the power used from 1,507 kW to 72 kW.

Premiere by the Piromusical

Although the fountain's water will flow normally again starting this Wednesday for the celebration of La Mercè, it won't be until Sunday that the Magic Fountain will fully recover its splendor. The Piromusical will feature the first water, sound, and light show since the drought forced the closure of the facility. Starting October 2, shows will resume at their usual times: Thursday through Saturday, between 9 and 10 p.m., in October, and from 8 to 9 p.m. in November and December.