When Broookfield Properties decided to update the Wells Fargo Center in downtown Los Angeles by creating Halo, a new gathering place focused on interesting eateries, retail, and Art, they put together a top-tier design time with SOM handling the architecture and GGN tasked with creating a beautiful new sculpture garden. This garden features Night Sail by Louise Nevelson as well as Fountain Figures I-IV by Robert Graham. Originally installed within the property’s Lawrence Halprin designed atrium space, the Fountain Figures‘ new home is an outdoor courtyard, built on existing structure over a parking garage, and accessible to the public.
Keeping water as a part of the sculptures was an important to the project’s design team, which also included the late Artist’s son Steven Graham and art consultant Karen Amiel. OTL was brought on board to create new water features which integrate the sculptures with the garden. The new footprint for the features was smaller than the original basins, so Chris, then Director of Creative Design at OTL, worked closely with Steven, who had created the original pedestals for his father in the 80’s, to redesign the water distribution system within the pedestals and custom-fabricated outlets to coat the pedestals with water, eliminating splash. Fountain Figure IV features a rain manifold with water falling onto a conic base; this sculpture was temporarily plumbed for a mockup and it was observed that the water falling onto the cone did not create excessive splash, meaning that this sculpture was able to be installed on its new base with the original fountain concept left intact.
Construction of the project was completed by OTL in 2021.
