Europe is filled with damp war heroes and Renaissance seraphim, pennies clogging

September 24, 2012 12:00 am
The International Fountain in Seattle Center was originally designed by Hideki Shimizu and Kazuyuki Matsushita for our 1962 World's FairaE”recall those porcupine-quill pipes!aE”then completely redone in 1992 by local architect Kenichi Nakano.
The International Fountain in Seattle Center was originally designed by Hideki Shimizu and Kazuyuki Matsushita for our 1962 World's FairaE”recall those porcupine-quill pipes!aE”then completely redone in 1992 by local architect Kenichi Nakano.

Europe is filled with damp war heroes and Renaissance seraphim, pennies clogging their drains. Here in Seattle, our mercantile founders built sawmills, not frivolous displays of public art. And yet the fountain fetish took hold, especially during our booming postwar years. Here’s a quick tour, as detailed in this week’s story.Photos by Brian MillerPublished on June 6, 2012

West on the waterfront are the two jet-encircled figures of Louise Bourgeois' Father and Son, installed by SAM at the Olympic Sculpture Park in 2002 and voted the city's ugliest statue in an informal SW poll two summers back.

West on the waterfront are the two jet-encircled figures of Louise Bourgeois’ Father and Son, installed by SAM at the Olympic Sculpture Park in 2002 and voted the city’s ugliest statue in an informal SW poll two summers back.

Below the new (2005) lid of Cal Anderson Park lies the old Lincoln Reservoir. Today, a volcano-like peak gurgles gently into a sluiceway and wider basin, designed by San Francisco artist Doug Hollis.

Below the new (2005) lid of Cal Anderson Park lies the old Lincoln Reservoir. Today, a volcano-like peak gurgles gently into a sluiceway and wider basin, designed by San Francisco artist Doug Hollis.

The Olmsted brothers' Volunteer Park contains a meager water spout in the reservoir dismally bounded by a chain-link fence. Time for a lid?

The Olmsted brothers’ Volunteer Park contains a meager water spout in the reservoir dismally bounded by a chain-link fence. Time for a lid?

Also designed by the Olmsteds (for the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition), today's Drumheller Fountain on the UW campus was originally called Geyser Basin, and some still call it Frosh Pond.

Also designed by the Olmsteds (for the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition), today’s Drumheller Fountain on the UW campus was originally called Geyser Basin, and some still call it Frosh Pond.

Kathryn Gustafson gave McCaw Hall's courtyard promenade a thin, elegant sheen over the pavement. Sadly, however, it's rarely runningaE”partly out of slip-and-fall concerns.

Kathryn Gustafson gave McCaw Hall’s courtyard promenade a thin, elegant sheen over the pavement. Sadly, however, it’s rarely runningaE”partly out of slip-and-fall concerns.

Gustafson also designed the indoor/outdoor creek descending down through the new City Hall. (It was supposed to run aboveground through a park on the west side of Fourth Avenue, though the recession has delayed such plans.)

Gustafson also designed the indoor/outdoor creek descending down through the new City Hall. (It was supposed to run aboveground through a park on the west side of Fourth Avenue, though the recession has delayed such plans.)

George Tsutakawa's Fountain of Wisdom was salvaged from the old library (1960-2007), and is now sited on Fourth below the new Rem Koolhaas building.

George Tsutakawa’s Fountain of Wisdom was salvaged from the old library (1960-2007), and is now sited on Fourth below the new Rem Koolhaas building.

Near Pioneer Square, the private, gated Waterfall Garden Park is a 1977 bequest of the Annie E. Casey Foundation (she the widow of a UPS co-founder), designed by Masao Kinoshita. Open to the public during daytime hours.

Near Pioneer Square, the private, gated Waterfall Garden Park is a 1977 bequest of the Annie E. Casey Foundation (she the widow of a UPS co-founder), designed by Masao Kinoshita. Open to the public during daytime hours.