Urban areas of Berlin are lined and intersected with colourful massive pipes. Appearing like an art installation, these brightly painted pipes in pink, blue and purple, carry groundwater from construction sites to the open waters. While Berliners accept the pipes as a normal part of city life, tourists are intrigued by their presence and colour, particularly in a city that has a strong art culture.
Berlin is build on top of a swamp, just 35 metre above sea level, and sits between the Spree and Havel Rivers. The groundwater sits just 2 metres below the surface so it is impossible to dig tunnels without flooding the city. The coloured pipes surrounding Berlin and near construction sites serve to pump water from the ground and transport it to the canals. They are used with modern pumps to lower the water table so that building foundations can be set. This system has been in place for more than a century.
A psychologist was consulted about the colour choice to paint the pipes. She suggested pink and purple because they were favoured by children. The pipes twist and turn throughout the city because when temperatures fall below 15 degrees fahrenheit, the pipe material can shrink and break. By avoiding the long linear sections of pipes, it prevents them from breaking.
