The Crown Foutain is one of those truly magical places in downtown Chicago. I wonder if any of the planners of Millennium Park, where this special fountain is hosted, thought that it would one day become every child's fantastic and accessible water-park in the city's Loop (you may have to google this...). It is the "perfect splash" and if you are a child in Chicago you can't miss an afternoon, or more, of water-packed fun in The Crown Fountain. Next time, Jarl and I will join the fun. Promised!
Georgie asked, "are they spitting water, or saliva?". I guess the photos will help you to understand this question.
Designed by Catalan artist Jaume Plensa and inspired by the people of Chicago, The Crown Fountain is a sculpture of water. I don't think Chicago would, could be the same without it.
"A fountain is the memory of nature, this marvelous sound of a little river in the mountains translated to the city. For me, a fountain doesn't mean a big jet of water. It means humidity, the origin of life" - Jaume Plensa
"The fountain consists of two 50-foot glass block towers at each end of a shallow reflecting pool. The towers project video images from a broad social spectrum of Chicago citizens, a reference to the traditional use of gargoyles in fountains, where faces of mythological beings were sculpted with open mouths to allow water, a symbol of life, to flow out. Plensa adapted this practice by having faces of Chicago citizens projected on LED screens and having water flow through a water outlet in the screen to give the illusion of water spouting from their mouths. The collection of faces, Plensa's tribute to Chicagoans, was taken from a cross-section of 1,000 residents." (quoted from the website of Millennium Park, Chicago).
When we're back in Brussels, on one of those wintery, frightful nights of cold, I will close my eyes and fly to Chicago and will land under one of the fountain's spouts and feel the summer come gushing through.
(L)
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