Rethinking a Monument: Lynn Wolff’s and John Copley’s Platinum Standard Project

Watershaping advanced by leaps and bounds from 1999 through 2004 – a journey of artistry and practicality that was an inspiration to witness. In this retrospective feature, WaterShapes Editor Eric Herman reviews 25 key projects published during that time frame, offering an ongoing resource to watershapers while defining a Platinum Standard for the designers, engineers, builders and artists who use water as their chosen medium.

Lynn Wolff & John Copley
Copley Wolff Design Group (CWDG)
Boston

Lots of architectural fountains aren’t meant to be interactive but end up being treated that way. Such was the case with the fountain in front of Boston’s First Church of Christ, Scientist, to which local children flocked for relief from summer’s heat despite the fact that the watershape was purely decorative. For lots of reasons, the church called in CWDG to revise the facility, which now features barrier-free, foot-friendly surfaces and dancing jets that make the site safer and even more fun