2 min read

Jaume Plensa - Crown Fountain, 2004, Glass, stainless steel, LED screens, light, wood, black granite and water, 16 m, Millennium Park, Chicago, Illinois, USA — Jaume Plensa – *Crown Fountain*, 2004, Glass, stainless steel, LED screens, light, wood, black granite and water, 16 m, Millennium Park, Chicago, Illinois, USA, photo: CC BY 2.0) by squidish

Address

V9JG+GG Chicago, Illinois Copy to clipboard

41.881273, -87.623756 Copy to clipboard

Visit information

Accessibility

Crown Fountain is wheelchair accessible, with paved pathways and ample seating nearby for resting.

Note that the surrounding surfaces can get hot in the summer, so caution is advised when walking barefoot.

Before you go

Facilities: No restrooms or designated picnic areas are available, but there are plenty of benches and spaces for an impromptu meal or rest.

Nearby attractions: Cloud Gate ('The Bean') is a 2-minute walk, Jay Pritzker Pavilion is a 5-minute walk, and Lurie Garden is a 7-minute walk.

Pets: Dogs are not permitted in the fountain area.

Seasonal operation: The water feature operates seasonally (spring to fall), but the installation's LED displays remain lit year-round.

What to bring: Bring a towel or a change of clothes, especially for children, as the water feature can soak participants. Comfortable shoes are recommended for walking in Millennium Park.

Best visit time

Visit on a hot summer day to enjoy the cooling water and playful atmosphere, particularly in the late morning or early afternoon.

Visit around 7 AM for fewer crowds and unique photo opportunities in the early light.

The fountain is beautifully lit from sunset until 11 PM daily, offering a dynamic and colorful experience.

Hot summer afternoons are perfect for enjoying the water, while spring and fall are ideal for cooler weather.

Directions

By train

CTA Red Line: Exit at Lake Station and walk 7 minutes (0.3 miles) to Millennium Park.

CTA Blue Line: Exit at Washington Station and walk 9 minutes (0.4 miles) to the park.

By bus

Routes: 3, 4, 20, 26, 60, and 124 stop at Michigan Ave & Monroe St., just a 2-minute walk to the park.

By bike

Divvy Bike stations are located nearby, including at Millennium Park and Monroe Street & Michigan Avenue.

Introduction

Within Chicago’s Millennium Park stands an interactive piece of art that the public never seems to have enough of. Designed by Jaume Plensa, a Catalan artist, the fountain is an illustration of how creativity and technology can mingle to form an enchanting piece of work.

Crown Fountain

The work, which was unveiled in July 2004, was executed by Krueck and Sexton Architects¹ and in it, they use black granite which gives the illusion of a pool. The pool on which visitors stand is an area of space that separates two towers made from glass. Each one of the towers is 50 feet tall and LEDs are used on their surfaces to display inward faces developed by digital videography.

Mixed reaction & controversy

Residents marvel at such a symbolic installation living amongst them. For its value as an entertainment piece, the Crown Fountain appears to live up to its cost of $17 million. This appreciation was not always there, as some people, long before it was built, argued that its towering height would negatively affect the traditional aesthetics of the town. Further controversy would emerge after its completion when surveillance cameras were fitted at the top. These were, however, quickly removed, at least so that people would feel free.

Meaning of the work

One of the most impressive features of the Crown Fountain is the power it gives back to humanity. People have traveled far and wide to connect with this piece of art for a chance to walk on water and listen to the sound of it falling. The use of human faces as images on the towers from where the water pours indicates the coexistence that should exist between human beings and nature. There are benches where visitors can sit. The fact that they are positioned to face each other emphasizes the reality of peace when people communicate and genuinely care about each other.

Why name this work Crown Fountain?

Plensa chose the name to pay tribute to the Crown² and Goodman families who for a long time had tried to redefine the meaning of public space.

Videos

2 min 2 sec

42 sec

Conclusion

Plensa’s use of video technology is a unique concept and more so for work that is supposed to impact the lives of people from all walks of life. At a personal level, the Crown Fountain is a thought provoker for Plensa and he admitted in a 2006 interview with Sculpture magazine that the tension that this project produces draws them closer to each other.

More by Jaume Plensa