August 23, 2004

The Princess Diana Memorial Fountain in London's Hyde Park reopened on August 20 under new rules. The $6.7-million moat-like fountain designed by Kathryn Gustafson closed on July 22, just days after its opening due to safety concerns. Two adults and a child suffered minor injuries when they slipped and fell in the fountain lined with smooth-cut granite.

Trained staff from The Royal Parks now supervises the site, which has new fencing and warning signs. People are also only allowed to dip their feet or hands in the water. The fountain, which experienced flooding problems, will be turned off every afternoon for 20 minutes to clean-out pump filters.

Gustafson's design, entitled "Reaching Out -- Letting In," is meant to express Diana's open and gracious public nature with "a necklace, set lightly across the existing contours of the site." With depths of one-quarter inch to 10 inches, visitors were encouraged to wade in the channel's water.

Gustafson and her London partner Neil Porter beat-out proposals from Sir Terry Farrell, Zaha Hadid, and Future Systems with Anish Kapoor to land the commission in July 2002.

Tony Illia

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