The Crown Fountain in Millenium Park is such fun – you can see from this short film just how popular it is with kids and adults alike – no ‘keep out of the fountain’ signs here! The work designed by designed by Catalan conceptual artist Jaume Plensa and executed by Krueck and Sexton Architects. The fountain is composed of a black granite reflecting pool placed between a pair of transparent glass brick towers. The towers are 50 feet (15 m) tall, and use light-emitting diodes behind the bricks to display randomly selected digital videos of the faces of almost a thousand Chicago residents. The faces change every 15 minutes, so you’d have to wait quite a while to see them all – but do watch to the end of the film to see the fountains amusing surprise revealed!
I love the paddling pool and the water spout. But I find the outsized face disturbing. Aaargh!