History WET (company)

1 history

1.1 1980 s
1.2 1990 s
1.3 2000 s
1.4 2010 s

history
1980 s

wet founded wet enterprises, inc., @ time stood water entertainment technologies, mark fuller, melanie simon, , alan robinson in 1983. 3 had worked imagineers @ disney. during time @ disney, fuller created “leapfrog” fountain @ epcot, using laminar technology, evolved subject of senior college thesis project @ university of utah. company renamed wet design in 1985, same year claire kahn joined company director of design. later, name became wet wet design. company named wet labs.

the company s first major project came in 1986 when collaborated firm of i. m. pei landscape architects dan kiley , peter ker walker create waterscape of fountain place (at allied bank tower) in dallas, texas. project showed first use of wet s patented open-jointed paving in fountain shots of water appear openings in plaza s surface.

wet’s first municipal project came in 1987 when commissioned create work los angeles music center. work designed around peace on earth, controversial sculpture designed jacques lipchitz.

in 1988, wet introduced first of patented shooters, minishooter, utilizes compressed air propel water in air, seto ohashi exhibition in sakaide city, japan. same year, company designed splatter baseball game manufactured worlds of wonder.

1990 s

wet teamed architects skidmore, owings & merrill in 1991 water feature @ gas company tower in los angeles, california. wet designed series of transparent in-floor elements water displays on underside, on public can walk , stretched elevator lobby building’s exterior garden. 1994 through 1997, wet completed many projects throughout asia including singapore features of millenia walk, pritzker architectural prize laureate philip johnson, ritz carlton hotel, , bugis junction. additional projects included jewelry trade center in bangkok, pattaya festival center in city of pattaya, , again firm of i.m. pei, anggana danamon bank in jakarta.

one of company s notable designs came in 1998 when collaborated steve wynn design fountains of bellagio, bellagio hotel , casino, in las vegas, nevada. fountains set in 8-acre (3.2 ha) manmade lake. under bellagio, wet collaborated array of composers , choreographers create fountain’s shows, including renowned composer gerard schurmann , american choreographer, producer , director kenny ortega. contrary urban myth, lake not filled treated greywater hotel. lake serviced freshwater drilled decades prior irrigate golf course existed on site. fountains use less water irrigating golf course did. in event of emergency, fountain’s reservoir can pumped firefighting equipment assist neighboring casino without drawing city system. fountains of bellagio introduced wet’s motion controlled robotic water nozzles, built wet robotics company sarcos, first time in industry. after project, wet expanded manufacturing capabilities manufacturing virtually of invented devices in house. company s feature incorporate network of pipes more 1,200 individually programmed nozzles make possible stage fountain displays coordinated more 4,500 lights. estimated fountains cost $40 million build. nozzles synchronized music , shoot water 240 feet in air. charles fishman’s, big thirst features how people have emotional bonds water , highlights wet’s fountains of bellagio project.

wet completed first major project in europe in 1998 fountains 1998 lisboa expo in lisbon, portugal. same year wet recognized american institute of architects receiving allied professions honor award , featured in cooper hewitt national design museum exhibit fountains: splash , spectacle. in 1999 completed project barcelona world trade center featured water banners emerged plaza in central atrium of project.

2000 s

the cauldron 2002 winter olympics

wet became part of 2002 winter olympic games in salt lake city, utah winning competition design of cauldron lights olympic flame. design included 120-foot tower of reflective glass panels , incorporated water , fire. marrying both function, tiny jets sent water down glass sides of cauldron, keep glass , metal cooled , clean , give effect of melting ice. wet released book named creating cauldron detailed behind scenes of project , revealed how company beat out others win competition, , how wet had 18 months create cauldron. upon completion of games, cauldron installed @ rice eccles stadium @ university of utah, in salt lake 2002 olympic cauldron park.

in 2005, wet contracted design water themed set 2005 mtv video music awards, marking 1 of company s first commissioned temporary features. final design included 7,000 gallons of water flowed under stage, 2,000 feet of piping, , 8,000 feet of electrical wire.

wet developed third water feature in new york in 2004 part of renovation of brooklyn museum. first being museum of modern art s garden fountain in 1987, rockefeller center s prometheus fountain in 1988. in 2005, wet completed 2 more projects in new york: fountains @ columbus circle , united states tennis association feature. columbus circle, company worked in collaboration olin partnership.

wet commissioned in 2006 redesign revson fountain, opened in 1964 @ lincoln center performing arts, in new york. company engaged redesign fountain @ recommendation of firm diller scofidio + renfro lead designers on overall renovation of lincoln center.

wet moved universal city sun valley, ca in 2006. in same year, company collaborated steve wynn second time create performance lake @ wynn macau. continued casino designs in 2008 when company commissioned transform volcano feature @ mirage hotel , casino.

wet credited in 2009 creating world s largest performing fountain, creation of dubai fountain. fountain contains 6,600 underwater lights can seen space more 200 miles away. in 2009 company commissioned create 5 fountains las vegas city center. 1 fountain world s first choreographed ice feature being world s widest programmable water wall.

2010 s

wet completed additional dubai projects beginning in 2010. these include 5 fountains @ burj khalifa tower park in dubai. same year in beijing, wet s feature @ global trade center premiered company s waterbells; manipulating laminar flow fountains create dome-shaped sheets of water.

in 2012, wet enhanced original 2006 design wynn macau, doubling density of design , debuting world s brightest (280) watt) underwater led lights engineered , manufactured wet. wet completed installation of 3 fountains @ city creek center shopping mall in salt lake city, utah in 2012. fountains included dancing water, light, fire , music. company commissioned create fountain show expo 2012 yeosu korea expo s signature big-o water feature. same year, wet created 1 of largest water shows in world completion of aquanura in efteling theme park, in netherlands.

wet created luminous, water wall spanning on 3 stories tall w hotel guangzhou’s entrance, debuting hotel’s opening in april 2013. wet-designed wall of water , light composed of thinly-woven metal screen on water runs upon @ different programmed rates vary in appearance. in addition choreographing wall s surging water, wet used 5,000 color changing leds allow 19-meter mosaic of light, lines, , color morph throughout day.

for 2014 winter olympic games in sochi, russia, wet created waters of olympic park, colorful choreographed fountain located in sochi medals plaza. feature prominently featured during olympic games’ opening , closing ceremonies. second olympic feature wet (first being 2002 winter olympics cauldron in salt lake city), houses basin containing 700,000 gallons of water, designed reveal 5 olympic rings within performances. feature choreographed water displays set soundtrack of famous russian composers including tchaikovsky , khachaturian.

in late 2013, wet debuted lycaste, interactive children’s fountain named , designed after lycaste orchid dasada, resort in prachinburi, thailand. set upon deck of teak wood, feature experienced via wet’s led lighting @ day in bright white , night in vibrantly programmed color combinations.