This ‘surreal’ water feature in Dubai bathes guests in colourful water

'Surreal': The new water feature at Dubai Expo 2020
'Surreal': The new water feature at Dubai Expo 2020 Copyright AP Photo
By Ben Anthony Horton with AP
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The installation is combining the creativity of humankind with the power of nature.

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This mind-bending four-storey water feature has just been unveiled at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Standing beneath the towering installation, visitors feel as if they're about to be engulfed in a waterfall before it suddenly disappears beneath their feet.

Titled ‘Surreal’, it was designed in Los Angeles, California by water feature firm WET.

"We're combining here the creativity of what man can do - humankind at our best - with the power and the richness of nature," says the company's CEO Mark Fuller.

"It's bringing joy to people. They're seeing it almost as nature but carved into a sculpture by man."

The water falls to the cue of music written by Ramin Djawadi, composer of the Grammy Award-nominated theme music for Game of Thrones and Westworld.

Colourful waterfalls with no wastewater

Following one of Expo 2020’s main themes, sustainability, organisers say the installation is designed to be eco-friendly. It wastes no water, aside from what evaporates during the spectacle.

When day turns to night, the feature takes on another appearance. Cascades of colour accompany the water to provide a stunning spectacle for onlookers.

"If you stand there, it feels like the water is falling to you. But then it just magically disappears into your feet. You don't even feel the water," says 19-year-old flight training student Rodrigo Ralha.

"It's cool, it's got light flashing everywhere, and the music is unbelievable," says Debbie McKay, a midwife from Australia.

This year's Expo - which was delayed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic - opened on 1st October 2021.

The six-month-long exhibition will hope to showcase Dubai as both a tourism and business destination to visitors from around the world.

Watch the video above to find out more.

Video editor • Ben Anthony Horton

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