Neuer Aqui-Brunnen

The Neuer Aqui-Brunnen is a wheelchair-accessible art fountain that connects Zurich’s industrial history with public water. The fountain stands within Zurich’s former brewery area. After finding underground water rich in minerals, the Hürlimann brewery established this public fountain for Zurich residents. People knew the water as Aqui mineral water. Zurich cabaret artist Beat Schlatter supplied the name Aqui, linking the water to local cultural history. The sculptor Helen Denzler created this public fountain. Its deep mineral water supported bottle filling, thermal baths, and energy recovery around the former brewery site. The former brewery site became a local landmark. High sodium and fluoride levels eventually ended the water’s classification as drinking water and led to decommissioning. The fountain no longer provides public drinking water. Aqui’s story preserves a connection between Zurich’s natural resources, industrial production, and everyday public access. The name remains tied to Zurich’s Hürlimann history. The Neuer Aqui-Brunnen records how mineral-rich water shaped a place where industry, sculpture, and public life met.