Water Cycle

This unique sculpture represents the timeless and vital solar energy-driven global circulation of water.

The sculpture is driven totally by the weight of water that enters via a penstock at the top of this óvershot’ water wheel.

As water enters the buckets, the wheel having a diameter of 6 metres and weighing more than six tonnes, slowly turns the main horizontal shaft. Connected to the main shaft are four eccentric sheaves that transform the rotary motion into linear movement. Curved reccentric push-rods, rockers and connecting rods gracefully transmit the movement into hydraulically assisted titling water lift buckets that spiral up about the central granite column.

The ribbed cast bronze sculpture base emerging from the pool that acts as reservoir was inspired by the clitopilus prunus bracket fungi and appears, like in nature, to grow out from the column and creep over the adjoining escalator well.
The asymmetric gently flowing contoured forms of the cast bronze base derive from the beautiful paddy fields of the Hani Tribe carved into the granite of Ailao Mountains of South Western China.

Some forty seven crafted wooden pattern moulds and sixty one bronze castings weighing in total over 15 tonnes were used in creating this sculpture.

Water Cycle 2002 by Johathan E Minna FRSA

Commissioned by E.P.K Weatherall, Managing Director of Hong Kong Land.

Constructed by The British Engineerium Museum in Hove England.

This scuplture can be found in Raffles 1.