Philadelphia art building fountain

Bronze Tiered water fountain outside museum. If you want one we can make one for you, All Classics Ltd



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4H2rrcUUKU&hl=en

Feng Shui of the HSBC Headquarters Building in Hong Kong

HSBC as we all know is one of the biggest banks in the world and when one is in Hong Kong, it is hard not to notice the headquarters in located Central Hong Kong. The headquarters was completed in 1985 costing roughly $5 billion USD and ever since then, it has undergone renovations many times throughout different segments of the building. From a Feng Shui standpoint, the headquarters is situated in a prime spot in Hong Kong facing the harbour allowing it to prosper. From the mountain looking down towards the harbour of Hong Kong, one can see 5 main roads flowing down where the longest road leads right by HSBC. By using Google maps, you can see that Garden Road is the longest road leading towards the harbour. The 5 main roads are like the veins of a Dragon. For HSBC, their property is located near the longest vein in the flow of energy. Most people or businesses would prosper if they are located near the end of the vein, but most importantly, the interior form must also adhere to proper Feng Shui standards in order to lead to prosperity.

In Feng Shui, having good exterior form is of utmost importance since the natural environment is almost impossible to change. The location of HSBC is an example of an area where the natural environment can make it easier to bring about prosperity and good health. Unfortunately for the building itself, with its modern and sleek design has major drawbacks to what is a near perfect location in Hong Kong. To begin with, the amount of renovations that the building has undergone leads to many leakages of 'Chi'. With all the renovations, holes and gaps are created in and outside the building where the energy cannot maintain a long term constant flow. It is like having a roof with holes all over the top where you are trying to plug one hole and another hole suddenly manifests itself; as a result, you are constantly trying to patch a leaky roof without fixing it completely. During its renovations, a construction worker fell off the building and died on the road leaving a black mark to the untainted Dragon vein. The road is left with 'shar chi'.

If one looks at the building, the steel pipes and support structures are shown on the outside. The building does not look like a normal office building; it looks like a manufacturing plant which is in disharmony with its surroundings of modern high-rises. In addition, the building leans more towards the right which can result in people inside the building leaning towards a more bias views when dealing with difficult situations and decision making. Management in the building could behave in such a way that is unfair to his or her subordinates. The daily operations within the bank could get really messy and disorganized.

As one approaches the entrance of the building, reflective giant mirrors can be seen on the top directing the sunlight right down to the Ming Tang on the main floor. (Ming Tang is where the energy collects near the entrance or at the entrance.) Right in the entrance, you will be able to see a glass-top ceiling acting as an energy filtration system where it is utilized to concentrate the energy or light in the main floor. The problem with the main entrance is that the energy cannot be contained due to the 'open space' concept where the energy travels directly right through one side of the building to the other.

Moving to the back of the building, there are two bronze lions sitting there and some see it as a preventative measure against 'shar chi'. After a walk around the building, it isn't hard to notice that the back to the front is uneven. There is also a wave-like pattern from the back to the front. Imagine holding up the palm of your hands and pouring sand on it, obviously, the sand would leak. That is what the wave pattern is depicting, but for the building's case, it is 'leaking money'.

Last but not least, when looking into the main entrance or atrium, there are two escalators placed in a perfect scissors form going to the second floor. It also looks like two knives cutting right through the heart of the structure from underneath it.

The exterior form in Feng Shui is always the first priority when looking for a property; with the proper form, it is very important to use good Feng Shui standards in designing both the exterior and the interior of the building to take advantage of the natural environment. Although the location of HSBC's headquarters in Hong Kong commands a superb location overlooking the harbour, the structure and building needs a second look.

Buying or Building Your Own Water Fountain

Things to Consider

A great deal about fountains has changed over the last decade. Now there are really high class ones made of copper, bronze, concrete, and stone, and some fairly nice ones made of resin and fiberglass. There are several things to consider, though. As a pump wholesaler, I speak with fountain owners all the time and also look at lots of samples of fountains at trade shows and in magazines. Before purchasing a fountain, there are quite a few questions to ask. What looks good in a store might not look good at your home or business. Or it might look good for the first month or year but then you'll get tired of it. Fountains are usually around for a long time; in fact, concrete and stone ones last centuries and are hard to remove once they're installed. Here are things to consider.

Bronze Fountains

These are at the high end of fountains, and can retail for ten to twenty thousand dollars. They are plain classy. But will one of these fit in where you want to put it? Do you have the right yard or business or location for such a classic kind of display? Also, do you like the aging process (the verdigris patina) that bronze undergoes. Can you afford one of these? If you answered yes to these questions, a bronze fountain might be right for you. It will last your lifetime, your kids' lifetimes, their kids' lifetimes, etc. And they are durable enough to be moved from house to house.

Copper Fountains

Like bronze fountains, these too tend to be classy, especially the name brand ones like Water Wonders, which mix copper with glass and slate. These make especially nice wall fountains. We have been selling Water Wonders fountains for several years at Fountain Mountain. There are certain things to think about, though. Are you locating the fountain in a room with good acoustics? Some rooms make the pump noise really echo, especially small rooms with walls that are close together. Do you know someone or can you hire an electrician to hide the cord in the wall? These fountains are a bit too expensive to buy if you're going to let the cord run outside the wall for everyone to see. Finally, it is a good idea to go listen to them run at a store before purchasing. Some of them make little water noise and some make a lot. To increase water sound you might have to turn up the pump to the point of there being slight splash. But if you are careful and go to a store with Water Wonders or other copper fountains on display before purchasing, and are happy with what you see and hear, these are great fountains.

Concrete Fountains

These still provide the most bang for the buck, primarily because concrete is so inexpensive. In fact, a huge part of the cost of concrete fountains is in transporting them to stores for sale and in the labor of painting them. The concrete itself is the least expensive part of the fountains' manufacture. There are some differences in how they are made, though. Some companies, like Brandelli's, use a "light" mix: their fountains are not nearly as heavy as those produced by, say, Avila's. Also, some companies like Brandelli's, use a stain over concrete, whereas others, like Avila's or Lomelli's, use paints (usually more than one at a time) or stains. Also, most concrete companies (though not all) reinforce their fountains with steel. This makes them strong but also means the concrete must be sealed. If not painted (as most fountains from Mexico are not), then they do need to have a clear sealant put on them. Otherwise the water will seep through to the steel, which will rust. Eventually, the fountain is likely to crack. One final word of advice on concrete, beware of "cute." Cute fountains (mama dogs with baby dogs, boys peeing) sometimes don't look so cute over time. Ask yourself if you'll still think the fountain is cute years later. Remember, concrete fountains can last hundreds of years. And they are difficult to move so pick something that will stay put. The traditional Italian 3-tier fountain is always a safe bet.

Resin and Fiberglass Fountains

The quality of these has gotten a lot better, and they have the clear advantage of being more easily handled than concrete ones. Some do look like concrete and stone, though they tend to look much more realistic at first glance than they do after a week has passed. Then it is pretty clear that they are faux. These are also a lot easier on employees who work in tores, as they don't have to worry as much about their backs. We would sell these at our store but just don't like their looks as well as the real thing.

Stone Fountains

These look incredibly good or mediocre. The handcrafted stone fountains out of Mexico and many of the large ones out of China are beautiful. But there are also mass-produced stone fountains, which use crushed stone mixed with resin. These just don't look like real stone to us even though they are.

Making Your Own Water Fountain

There are lots of ways to make your own fountains. The easiest way, perhaps, is to place a pump in a small tub or on some liner. Then place a wire or plastic grate on top of the tub or the liner, and layer pebbles, rocks, etc. over the wire or plastic grate. Your pump and plumbing will be hidden! No one will no where your water is coming from. You can then connect black PVC piping to the pump (black sprinkler pipe is incredibly inexpensive yet professional looking) and let the water rise up seemingly out of rocks in your yard. You won't have to worry much about pets as the water source is covered with stones. Likewise, you won't have to worry about kids drowning. You can also build a little waterfall over such a pit if you want, just throwing in boulders to hide your electric and tubing, etc. Some people use bamboo for spouts. You can also drill holes through slate (we've found it's really easy if you soak the slate for a day first). Slate is so porous, however, you ought to seal it once you're done drilling. You can also find rocks in nature that already have holes in them.

How Big of a Pump do I need?

Basically, if you buy a fountain at a store you should have instructions on the best size pump for that particular piece of garden art. If you are making your own fountain, here is a rule of thumb: for every inch of width you need to pump 100 gallons per hour. But note that a100 gallon per hour pump is not pumping the same volume at one foot head (elevation above the pump), two feet head, three feet, and so forth. If you are making your own fountain, it is likely you will have to guess which size to buy, and you might be wrong the first time you build one. Most pumps are adjustable but often can be adjusted down only a bit. However, magnetic-driven pumps, the most common kind, are inexpensive and durable. You can find them online at many wholesale pumps outlets.