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Video: Lincoln Center Fountain Returns With Water Show
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 2, 2009
Modified Oct 2, 2009
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By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 2, 2009
Modified Oct 2, 2009
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As part of Lincoln Center's extensive and expensive renovation, the beloved Revson fountain has been reimagined as well. Instead of the old, low-walled fountain (designed by Philip Johnson), architects Diller, Scofido + Renfro created a "floating granite ring"—which acts as seating, if you don't mind getting a little wet—around the water. From the press release:
The pool of water is lowered and converted to a shallow water surface at Plaza level. New technologies provide automated windspray sensors that adjust water pressure, height, and volume. Special nozzles and lighting systems allow for a multitude of special-effect water and light configurations. In terms of choreography, the fountain can create a wide range of water expressions from slow morphing geometric masses to fast paced chases. At night, the fountain is vibrantly illuminated with white light.
The fountain's effects were designed by WET, the design firm behind the fountain at Columbus Circe and the famous fountain at Las Vegas' Bellagio Hotel. Here's a brief clip of the illuminated fountain at night (after the jump, there's video of the fountain during the day):
Of course the change from the old fountain has upset some: In August, Andrew Dolkart of Columbia's historic preservation program told the NY Times, "It’s the thing that upsets me most of all about what’s happened at Lincoln Center. They thought that they needed to spend a lot of money ripping out Philip Johnson’s fountain and putting in something new instead of restoring something that worked well...."
Dolkart then added, " A key issue in preservation is whether or not something is worth preserving, not whether or not the new thing we replace it with might be wonderful also. You wouldn’t want to tear down Grand Central Terminal because Frank Gehry is going to design a masterpiece in its place." But Lincoln Center's director of development Ron Austin told NY1, "What we've done is complementary to Philip Johnson's original design, is one of the premier fountains in the country. We brought in 50 years of new fountain technology to the campus."
A 4 minute-plus video of the fountain's "show" during the day:
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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