The Fire Hydrant Drinking Fountains are an alternative design to provide drinking water for festivals and temporary events in Calgary. They are an exploration of the social role of public fountains as gathering spaces and their connection to the invisible systems underground.
Often limited to a functional set up and/or as a billboard for messaging, these hydrant fountains with their workings visible make the direct connection to the city water system understandable, creating intrigue and questioning for the users and inviting us to enjoy the quality of Calgary tap water.
The three designs - "Strangers", "Family" and "Group" - invite different formations of gathering playfully around water.
The fountains were built by The City of Calgary Fleet services fabrication shop.
This project was undertaken as part of our role as Lead Artist for the pilot period of WATERSHED+
Fire Hydrant Drinking Fountains received the Americans for the Arts Public Art Network Award for 2014 Year in Review.
For more information about this work and others through Watershed+ and to learn more about the program you can read Plus: A Succession Plan for Watershed+ available online here.
