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The Chicago Traveler

Crown Fountain Combines Art, Tech, and Fun

by User ImageMatt B on May 6th, 2008

crown fountain

Try to describe Crown Fountain to anyone who hasn't been there, and you may be at a loss. While looking at it, the concept seems very simple: two 50-foot (15-m) towers facing each over a reflecting pool. But if you take a closer look, you'll notice there is a lot going on with this project that skillfully combines art, technology, architecture, and water.

crown fountainOpened to the public in July of 2004, Crown Fountain is like none other. Not only is this artwork interactive, but it is constantly changing. Each of the towers is made of over 10,000 5- by 10- by 2-inch (13- by 25- by 5-cm) glass blocks, which shelter an LED screen that randomly displays a face, a solid color, or a nature scene. When a face appears, it smiles for four minutes before puckering up and shooting water out of its 'mouth.' After one minute of spouting water, water rushes down from the top of the towers, 'washing away' the face. Water continuously cascades down the sides of the structures until another image appears.

Constructing this attraction was incredibly difficult. Combining water and video on such a large scale had never been done before, and some of the materials that Spanish artist Jaume Plensa needed didn't even exist yet! For example, each of the glass blocks had to be thin enough to not distort the LED display, but strong enough to withstand Chicago's harsh winters and nearby Lake Michigan's gusty winds.

crown fountainWhen it came to the spouting fountains, the engineers couldn't just stick a normal pipe in the 'mouth' area. After all, this would have disrupted the LED display. So instead, clear tubing was installed to assist what the creators called 'the gargoyle feature.' Instead of a scary creature though, here the gargoyles are the faces of more than 1,000 Chicago residents.

The towers also have wind gauges at the top, so that if the weather gets too windy, the water will automatically turn off.

crown fountainFinally, the fountain uses about 11,520 gallons (43,608 liters) of water per minute. Where does it all go? The water that shimmers down the sides of the towers falls into gratings located at their bases. The water shooting from the “mouths” falls into an interactive shallow pool. But instead of unsightly metal drains, the pool is surrounded by a subtle opening in the ground, no bigger than your average sidewalk crack. Pump rooms beneath the towers collect the water, filter and clean it, and send it back up through the structure.

People of all ages love this attraction. If you plan on visiting this work of art with children, plan accordingly. They will get very wet. As you can imagine, Crown Fountain is especially popular during the summer. The water is on from mid-spring through mid-autumn every year, but the images are displayed 24 hours a day year-round.

This fountain brought together experts from several different fields and made advancements in both art and technology. But perhaps even more importantly, it brings together locals and tourists from all walks of life for amazement and fun.

crown fountaincrown fountain winter
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Photo credit: Wikipedia, (c/o Flickr:) David Paul Ohmer, S:U:P:E:R:M:O:D, discopalace, 24gotham

Crown Fountain: 51 S Michigan Ave; 312-742-1168
24-hour underground parking (www.MillenniumGarages.com)
Public trans: Bus # 3, 4, X4, 14, 20, X20, 26, 56, 60, 127, 145, 147, 148, 151
Red/Blue Line train (Monroe)
Orange/Pink/Green/Purple/Brown Line train (Madison)
Metra Electric/ South Shore Line (Randolph)
http://www.millenniumpark.org/

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POSTED IN: Architecture & Attractions, Art, Collectibles and Hobbies

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