Understanding the Intersection Between Water Features And Art
The design of architectural water features lies at a crossroads between practical engineering and boundless creativity. Where every project presents technical and mechanical challenges, they simultaneously open the doors for artistic freedom.
This door has arguably been pried open even further with the City of Vancouver’s civic Public Art Program. According to these regulations, all new private developments must include some form of public-facing artwork. Structures such as murals, statues, and, of course, water features all match this requirement.
Living Shangri-La, Reflecting Pool
The manipulation of water can be an art form unto itself, spouting or cascading in deliberate design. Its reflective properties can also help draw attention to other pieces. A great example is Vincent Helton’s Shangri-La feature. While one part of the feature highlights nature with a natural garden centre piece, another acts as a pool that reflects artwork procured by the Vancouver Art Gallery. The latter section, called Offsite, uses lights and reflection to accentuate the artwork on display.
Historically, the link between water features and artwork is very clear. Greco-Roman style fountains are arguably the archetypal form of traditional water installations. Pieces such as the Fountains of Apollo, Trevi Fountain, and the Versailles Fountains all harken to an age when lifelike sculptures were the standard. With these features, the water acts as a compliment to the designs themselves, a trend that is less prominent today.
Contemporary water features may use art to address local historical or cultural events and ideas. The Flumes in Kelowna is designed as a tribute to the rich history of logging that defines the region. At the Vancouver Aquarium, a reflective pool designed by the Vincent Helton team surrounds Bill Reid’s iconic Chief of the Undersea World orca statue, intended to draw attention to the legacy of the local First Nations.
Occasionally, these landmarks will be re-shaped after the fact with water feature components. Vancouver’s Olympic Cauldron is a landmark that represents the city’s tenure as the 2010 Winter Olympics host city. After the events had finished, issues arose as people climbed on the torch itself. To alleviate this problem, Vincent Helton worked with the City to construct a pool around the Cauldron, a change which now discourages activity that could endanger public safety.
From reflecting pools to fountained marble statues, art and water features tie together in so many ways that the line between the two is virtually non-existent. Even the most basic fountains or spouts can be regarded as a form of creative expression.
Although the definition of ‘art’ is subjective in many ways, we consider it to stand for a form of representation that means more than the sum of its parts. With this in mind, we strive to design projects that evoke emotions, memories, or ideas within their beholders.