Stone Poetry: Richard Hansen’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.

Richard Hansen
Pueblo, Colo.

Set on the Arkansas River in Pueblo, Colo., the Farley/Reilly Fountain was designed by sculptor Richard Hansen to mesh seamlessly with its urban surroundings while visually connecting the city’s new river walk with the water. Inspired by local geology and influenced by Islamic styles, the stone structures mirror the elevations of the downtown’s architecture while the flow across the fountain’s base visually links the walk with the water and symbolizes the robust, healthy pulse of the river