Located in the heart of downtown Columbus, Ohio, the Children's Fountain provides an enchanting environment in which different folks, different disciplines and different tales can be shared and enjoyed by all.

As part of the city's informal outdoor spaces and theaters, this urban mini-park was designed by NBBJ Architecture, Design and Planning to celebrate children and provide a physical space which depicts a story of personal discovery.

The estimated cost for the entire project was $750,000 and has received special recognition from the Ohio Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

In addition to a dense grove of trees, the "enchanted forest" setting features a creek-like fountain, glass block water walls and bronze footprints. Some of the beast' footprints will activate waterspouts and a manual pump empowers children (above left) to feed the creek, providing an interactive experience in this unique educational setting.

The life-size bronze animal sculptures, by artist Jack Greaves, pictured above and to the right, pose along the edges of the meandering creek and fountain. The artist rendering above shows how the fountain begins in the lower left corner and then winds its way through the tree grove. By following the guidance of the creek, one is able to realize a story "of courage and wisdom" through the sculpture theater. One of the design objectives was to utilize a "stream" to provide the physical framework for the realization of the story line. It also helps to provide a transition between the urban streetscape and the more natural river front.

Completed in 1992, this urban mini-park is a refreshing and enlightened experience for children of all ages. This project is a demonstration of the role of folklore, fantasy, and social initiation in the city-scape by means of landscape "art" and architecture. Photographs and design rendering courtesy of NBBJ Architecture, Design and Planning. LASN