The Oort Cloud Fountain Jean-Michel Othoniel

The fountain is an ode to the world-famous astronomer Jan Hendrik Oort, who was born in Franeker. His assumption that a ‘cloud’ of billions of comet-like objects is moving around our solar system was a breakthrough in astronomy. The fountain is designed as a series of waterfalls that flow into the water basin from a bowl, along a vertical chain of night-coloured pearls. One of the pearls is silver-coloured, like the colour of the moon, another is gilded, the colour of the sun. ‘The Oort Cloud’ fountain itself is a mist of fine droplets falling from a gold-coloured mesh into the bowl.
New cultural heritage
in eleven Dutch cities
New cultural heritage
in eleven Dutch cities

stainless steel beads with black, gold and silver coating, wire mesh
3,5 m high; scale 1,5 m diameter; water basin 3,8 m diameter

Inspired by: the discovery made by astronomer Jan Hendrik Oort
Location: next to the Martini church on the Breedeplaats square, in a park specially designed by the famous garden architect, Piet Oudolf

Jean-Michel Othoniel

Jean-Michel Othoniel (1964) became well known for his experimental use of glass from Murano (Italy), with which he designs multicoloured sculptures in the form of large ‘beads’. His numerous works in public spaces illustrate unexpected aspects in the history of the location, or of the city, and create a magnificent atmosphere infused with colour and light. He designed a fountain based on the dance steps of Louis XIV for the Palace of Versailles.


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