The FUNtain is the centerpiece of Teluscape, an outdoor park/playground built on the site of the original fountain out in front of the Ontario Science Centre.
The main focal point of Teluscape is a circular pipe organ that consists of two organ consoles, each of which is a semi-circular hydraulophone (water-pipe-organ-flute and fountain), along with two visible ranks of organ pipes arranged in a larger circle around the hydraulophones.
The hydraulophones produce sound of their own, as well as drive the organ pipes through hydraulic action.
When you block one of the jets on the hydraulophone, it produces its own sound (as hydraulophones normally do) while it also sends water out through the mouth of the corresponding pipe in the North Pool. Water that comes out of the mouths of the organ pipes, as they take turns speaking, collects in the North Pool and cascades down the back side of the pool.
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Here is a hydraulophone lesson, with pictures from a Point of View camera to show you how to play the hydraulophone.
Each pump is connected by way of a separate
3 inch diameter water supply pipe
Three air compressors supply wind to the pneumatophonic component of
the water pipe organ.
Each is a four cylinder Ingersoll Rand
compressor with a separate 25 horsepower motor for each compressor.
