The Active Pool |A waterfall at the Fort Worth Water Gardens

The Active Pool is one of the four main spaces at the Fort Worth Water Gardens (Texas, USA), an urban oasis designed by architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee in 1974. The waterfall, which is eleven meters high and shaped by a terraced geometry, surrounds a small central pool to which all the water is poured.

The particular design of this fountain invites visitors to descend to its very center, offering them a unique walk in which water is the protagonist. Thus, this urban element provides more than refreshment and relief from the hot weather of Fort Worth, enabling the user to experience firsthand the power, strength and movement of an everyday element: water.

“It’s the sound that captures most people’s attention: the roar of 10,500 gallons [40,000 litres] of water per minute hurtling down the four-story sides”.

“And then there’s the spectacle of the water cascading down the concrete terraces and splashing past the steps that lead visitors down to a pentagon of large blocks at the bottom of the sunken waterfall. Here, in the center of it all, the cacophony of the falls muffles conversation, leaving visitors to stop for a moment to soak in the scene”.

“The Active Water Pool is the centerpiece of the 4.3-acre [1.7-ha] Water Gardens, an open-air complex of waterfalls, pools, fountains, plazas, walkways, and trees located adjacent to the Fort Worth Convention Center. Famed architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee designed the Water Gardens, which have provided a meditative haven in the heart of Fort Worth since their opening in 1974. While not open to swimming, the Water Gardens are a popular destination for walks, picnics, and events on the plaza.”

(via Texas Highways)

(images via Eric Hunt)

(images via hyperallergic)

(images via Architecture in Fort Worth)