It's easy to back up an assertion that a good fountain is the key to making a public space work.
A monumental statue is great, for instance, but when you add water even in the quiescent form of a reflecting pool, the visitor's experience of the installation is enhanced in many ways. And while big, open plazas may serve as ready-made gathering places, if you add even a small fountain, the overall space will be defined by its presence and visitors will inevitably be drawn to it as a focal point.
Public fountains take many forms, but whatever the specifics, their inclusion says something important, something powerful about the setting, its ambitions and its ongoing ability to attract, entertain and delight the public. It's common these days for architects and landscape architects to talk about "place-making, " and when it's time to begin thinking along those lines, the optimal starting point is typically a memorable, compelling water feature.
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