Máquina (“machine,” in Spanish), the fountain, is part of a dynamic system that uses water as a liquid, vapor and solid. Created by William Conrad Severson, it is the focal point of the Engineering Mall on The UW-Madison campus. According to information on the College of Engineering website, the fountain is interactive:
Students can manipulate some of the fountain’s special properties, including lighting and compressed air effects throughout the system, through a small lab located beneath the mall. Passersby can get into the act as well. You can trigger a variety of fountain water sprays by waving a hand in front of the sensors on the stainless-steel columns that line the sidewalk in front of Máquina.
