|
_________________________________
Chicago Fountain
In the winter of 1995, while working for the Hicks Architectural
Group in Chicago, I was asked to engineer an Art Deco-style fountain at
5040-5060 Marine Drive. Fast-forward to 2017: I was surprised to discover that
an architectural enthusiast had recommended the fountain as a go-see for a
city-wide architectural open house. It was flattering that the author of the
article thought the fountain was original issue -- but in fact, it is not.
What was there originally was a three-tier wedding cake of masonry. Our brief
was to redesign the fountain into a more appropriate style for the building. And
in fact, there was backlash at the time over the new design, because several of
the building residents had their wedding photos taken in front of the old
fountain and didn’t want it changed.
Our designer, Bill Hicks, did extensive research on the Art Deco aesthetic; he
chose components to emphasize the design of the new fountain in that style,
including reflection, high contrast in materials and accent color.
The composition of the backdrop is black and white, high-gloss glazed brick with
absolute black granite. The side windows and central spire are glass block.
There are fiber optic acrylic loops inside the central spire and the column can
change colors at night.
Interestingly, the fountain is constructed on the main electrical transformer
for the building. My own role in this project was challenging, because I had to
design a pool at the top of the curved wall behind the spire, with a weir to
direct a cascade of water uniformly over the stainless steel. The overall point
was to reflect the fiber optic light off cascading water. We were quite pleased
with the way our effects worked out, and it seems to have become a success. |
|
_________________________________
Chicago Fountain
|
|
_________________________________
Drumlin Farms Greenhouse
|
_________________________________
Drumlin Farms Greenhouse
|
|
_________________________________
Learning Center Lobby
|
_________________________________
Learning Center Lobby
|
|
_________________________________
German International
School Gallery
|
_________________________________
German International School
Gallery
|
|
_________________________________
German International
School Courtyard
|
_________________________________
German International School
Courtyard
|
|
_________________________________
German International
School Basement Remodel
|
_________________________________
German International School
Basement Remodel
|
|
_________________________________
Science Room for The
German International School
of Boston
|
_________________________________
Science Room for The German
International School of Boston
|
|
_________________________________
YMCA remodel
|
_________________________________
YMCA remodel
|
|
_________________________________
Dorchester Condominium
|
_________________________________
Dorchester Condominium
|
|
_________________________________
Construction Pictures
|
_________________________________
Construction Pictures
|
|
_________________________________
Construction 2 Pictures
|
_________________________________
Construction 2 Pictures
|
