The building of a fountain

Ever wanted to know what it takes to build a fountain? See photos of the construction of the Henry Wollman Bloch Fountain during the summer of 2001.

More than 1,610 square feet of 2-inch-thick Winter Sky Granite was cut and shipped from Canada for the water display area. More than 7,991 square feet of 2-inch-thick Rustenburg Dark Granite was used for the water skin area. More than 736 square feet of 1 1/4 inch thick granite was used on the face of the fountain

Artist's Rendering

Description

How to build a fountain

Artists' rendering

This description of the fountain was written by Wet Design, the designers of the Bloch Fountain.

The Henry Wollman Bloch Fountain is located within a median between the Union Station building and Liberty Memorial Park. A linear expanse of grass is the base over which the Henry M. Bloch water expression is placed.

An elliptical plane of black granite is coated with a veneer of water, resulting in a highly reflective mirror that visually floats in the center of the expanse of green. This water plane, reflecting the surrounding architecture of the Union Station building and the Liberty Memorial, also responds to wind, creating ripples of delicate movement that wash across its surface.

Centered in the plane is a circular, white granite island that hovers just above the water skin. This circular disk is the focus of the work, a platform from which a vibrant, vertical water display is expressed. Small openings penetrate the granite disk in the form of a series of concentric rings from which white light and choreographed water plumes genesis.
In concert, hundreds of pulsing water jets emit from the disk in patterns that range from delicate and tranquil to monumental. The differing water choreographies address a variety of conditions at the site. The feature can be choreographed to transform in character from quiet and passive, to grand and elating for special occasions and holidays. The work can emphasizes and punctuate moments in each day.

After dark, visitors to Union Station enjoy a luminous, evening expression. White light vibrantly illuminates the vertical water columns, resulting in an engaging and elating nighttime water event.

It takes a lot of time and energy to build a fountain of this size.

Getting started	Clearing the site	Concrete foundation piers
Main water supply and drains--as large as 24 inches in diameter	Form work and epoxy coated rebar at water skin area-- over 115 tons of epoxy rebar was used	Center display housing 16 super lights and 16 mini shooters which are capable of shooting water over 1000 feet in the air
Setting the water skin pavers	View from Crown Center	Rebar and forming for perimeter of fountain
The Outermost Analog manifold which provides water and compressed air to fire the outside two rings of jets.	Henry Bloch at the dedication on September , 2001	The completed fountain!
	Photographs by Roy Inman©