Project Type: Public Space

A design proposal created for The Shed Summer Sway

“Space is an active form of social relations…space matters because it is not an inert container of social life but an integral part of its manifestations and its events. Space gives form to encounters… Common space is relational and relative. It is not only a medium and a shaping factor of social relations… but also an always-in-the-making set of relations.”
Stravros Stavrides, The city as Commons (p.260)

Historically fountains have been a significant element of urban plaza design, creating central meeting points that celebrate our relationship with water and with each other. In New York City, fountains, like the Washington Square Park fountain, stand as beloved pieces of our public commons, centers of activity and happenings: gathering spots, playgrounds, stages, backdrops, and summertime oases.

Wellspring proposes a symbolic fountain - a playful, adaptable piece of urban seating that is both intimately human scaled and yet large enough to create a presence in the relative context of Hudson Yards. It brings a sense of commons to an otherwise corporate landscape, welcoming a variety of engagement and a limitless number of activities, inviting the public to dance, read, eat,play, watch, rest, and celebrate together. Wellspring creates a porous ring for encounter and performance: shaping space as a wellspring of joy at The Shed.