Wellspring: The Fountain at The Shed
Project Type: Public Space
A design proposal created for The Shed Summer Sway
“Space is an active form of social relations…space matters because it is not an inert container of social life but an integral part of its manifestations and its events. Space gives form to encounters… Common space is relational and relative. It is not only a medium and a shaping factor of social relations… but also an always-in-the-making set of relations.”
Stravros Stavrides, The city as Commons (p.260)
Historically fountains have been a significant element of urban plaza design, creating central meeting points that celebrate our relationship with water and with each other. In New York City, fountains, like the Washington Square Park fountain, stand as beloved pieces of our public commons, centers of activity and happenings: gathering spots, playgrounds, stages, backdrops, and summertime oases.
Left to right: (1) Washington Square Fountain, 1935. New York, NY. (2) Washington Square Fountain, 2020. New York, NY. (Photo by Allen Ying) (3) Friends, 1994. Warner Bros lot, LA. (4) Enchanted, 2007. Bethesda Fountain, Central Park, NY. (5) The Great Gatsby, 2013. St Patrick's College, Manly, Australia. (6) Fendi's 90th Anniversary Couture Show, 2016. Trevi Fountain, Rome. (7) Princess Diana Fountain. London, UK. (8)The Sound of Music, 1965. Pegasus Fountain at Salzburg Mirabell Gardens, Austria.
Wellspring proposes a symbolic fountain - a playful, adaptable piece of urban seating that is both intimately human scaled and yet large enough to create a presence in the relative context of Hudson Yards. It brings a sense of commons to an otherwise corporate landscape, welcoming a variety of engagement and a limitless number of activities, inviting the public to dance, read, eat,play, watch, rest, and celebrate together. Wellspring creates a porous ring for encounter and performance: shaping space as a wellspring of joy at The Shed.
The design proposes a 40’ diameter circle of stepped seating, split into 12 equal fragments that can offer seating for 100-150 people. The ‘water’ is a vinyl ground graphic that creates the ‘floor’ of the fountain while the circle is closed, and visually anchors the space when the circle is expanded. Wellspring proposes an active space. In response to specific events and performance, or perhaps to keep the space in continual evolution throughout the summer, the fragments can be moved by a crew into different configurations.
The seating is complemented with 3-5 decentralized landmark totems, no taller than 6’, that stand in contrast to the typical centralized figure of a fountain. These characters are also meant to change location, and could be designed to serve one or several of the performances. As colorful icons the totems can house various functions like portable water misters, sponsor advertising, visitor information, messaging, or ambient lights. Because of its fragmented design, our aspiration is that the life of this project can continue on beyond its time at The Shed - offering seating that can be used in other parks, exhibitions, or community gardens throughout the city.
