Experience Barnsley – Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Located at the heart of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, Ocmis have installed a new water feature commissioned by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council and designed in collaboration with in-house Highways and Engineering Department. Situated next the town hall, and as part of the £1.9 million Experience Barnsley Museum and Cultural Project, the dancing jets are a permanent addition to the town that have already been enjoyed by thousands of residents and tourists.

The feature consists of 30 custom made nozzles in three banks of 10. The nozzles are integrated into channels with stainless steel grilles to provide an uninterrupted pedestrian area. The arching jets of water provide a sense of drama when viewed from street level. The jets are controlled by a bespoke control panel, designed and built by Ocmis, which contains a menu of programmes that can be selected from the touch screen. Each programme is designed specifically for the Experience Barnsley scheme, making this a unique feature that cannot be experienced anywhere else. The water is housed in a 50,000 litre underground water storage tank and pumped at 30,000 litres per hour, passing through a filtration and a chlorine dosing system to combat water based bacteria, creating a safe and fun environment for visitors of all ages to enjoy.

The central control panel can be accessed remotely using a secure internet based remote access system. This allows Ocmis engineers to fault find and make changes to the displays and light shows quickly. It also gives the BMBC operators the ability to control the system remotely.

As twilight falls the feature comes to life, 90 RGBW LED lights throw beams of light through the water jets creating a spectacle on a grand scale. The naturally fading LED’s intertwine and synchronise with the display, creating enchanting coloured streams of water. With the possibility of choosing 16 million colours, there is never the risk of the feature becoming mundane.

With the feature being a place of fun and entertainment during the day, by night it turns into a beautiful center-piece at the heart of a town.