Flowing through Paris
Next time you take a walk or ride down the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris, make sure you stop by the amazing fountains on the Rond-point des Champs-Élysées-Marcel-Dassault, to contemplate the works of art made possible by Sandvik.
The Paris Fund was mandated to carry out the restoration of the six fountains on the Champs-Élysées. During the restoration, the fountains travelled 3062 kilometers, bringing together more than 250 people and many partners. From the artistic conception in the studio of Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec (Paris) to its implementation by Atelier BLAM Lemunier & Meyer (Nantes) and Swarovski Crystal (Wattens).
Word on the street was that Sandvik is the company to contact when you need the best stainless steel pipes that the industry has to offer. And that is exactly what Atelier BLAM did. They contacted the France Inside Sales Representative El Hadji Drame, who together with Field Sales Bruno Colafrancesco helped BLAM find the best solution for the restoration of the fountains.
Atelier BLAM needed pipes with material of the highest quality in all aspects: mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, tolerances on dimensions and external appearance. The pipes in grade 316L that were ordered met all specifications with a large wall thickness that will stand the test of time.
The pipes are used inside the three-suspensions set, with luminous Swarovski crystal links, as well as the underground water supply systems. The water flows vertically from the lower end of these suspensions. The set turns slowly on itself so that the fountains come alive throughout the year according to the seasons.
When it comes to stainless steel, we only work with Sandvik
The pipes are used inside the three-suspensions set, with luminous Swarovski crystal links as well as the underground water supply systems."I'm proud to have been involved in the success of this project and knowing that this has resulted in a new order of Sandvik pipes makes me even more proud,” says Hadji Drame. “As a teenager, I had a summer job delivering pizza on the Champs-Élysées. I have passed these lifeless fountains many times, having no clue that one day I would play a part in bringing them back to life."
The project is now complete, and the official inauguration of the fountains was in March 2019.
As a result, Atelier BLAM was so satisfied with the quality of Sandvik pipes, as well as the services provided by our French colleagues, that they have entrusted Sandvik with a new order of pipes, for an ongoing fountain project in Rennes, western France.
“When it comes to stainless steel, we only work with Sandvik,” say representatives of Atelier BLAM. “We know that their pipes are worry-free in all regards: mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, tolerances on dimensions and external appearance.”