Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain. London. 2004.
In 2004 the Queen opened the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain, and until recently I was totally unaware of its existence. On a recent trip to London I stumbled upon the fountain expecting a traditional and somewhat boring fountain with water spurting upwards from half naked stone renaissance figures. Instead, London based design company Gustafson, Porter and Bowman created a totally unique water feature which both embodies Diana’s passion for life and gives the public enjoyment and interaction in the park. The award winning design was collaborated on by a variety of consultants, surface texture specialists and artists; for the full list of credits please visit: http://www.gp-b.com/diana-princess-of-wales-memorial
So, what makes this fountain more than just interesting and unique? As I walked around the fountain it’s not only extremely visually pleasing; the 545 pieces of light grey Cornish granite contrast beautifully with the surrounding green grass, but the sounds of the water change. This artificial circular river mimics the splashing and calming flow of a natural river with different surface details etched into the rock. The naturally sloping land is exploited by the sweeping bends of rock which channel the water through grooves and down steps giving the water different textures and speeds. The small ripples and splutters of the water change with the six or seven different features within the rivers. The two separate journeys join at the bottom in a still, silent pool. Banked sides encourage people to take a moment and sit with there feet dangling in the shallow water. Small bridges across the water allow people to walk into the centre and enjoy the sounds and their surroundings from a different viewpoint.
The idea that this fountain reflects Diana in life, and in personality, has been explored to the Nth degree and is discussed in a documentary by the designers (see the link above). As immensely impressive as that is, for me, I am gripped by the technologies involved in creating such an effortless looking product that has been created to engage the sight, sound and touch of passers-by. This fountain does more for the public than a visual display. It was this thought that a left a more lasting impression on me and will continue to remind me to consider all the user’s senses in my own work.
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