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Princess Diana Memorial,
the Serpentine, Hyde Park, London
We were invited on a shortlist with other artists and craftsmen from around the world to take part in a competition to design a fountain in memory of Princess Diana, in the grounds of Hyde Park. The site for the memorial was a sloping bank leading from the bridge across the Serpentine Lake to the edge of the water and into the body of the Park.
In the bank we proposed a stone pool in a star shape which was long in diameter and narrow in width so as to sit comfortably alongside the vast lake whilst simultaneously bringing onlookers in close proximity.
The lie of the land around the pool explored the various qualities of water through different seasons and this manifests itself in a number of different experiences. At the highest point where the water is level with the ground, visitors might paddle in the water, at the lowest level the water picks up momentum, cascading over the edge of the pool. In Summer the water would flow fast and exuberantly, in Winter, so slowly that it froze. In front of the bridge in the Serpentine Lake, we proposed a circle of jets which would deliver water bubbles in Spring, water sprays in Autumn and and cooling mist in high Summer.
In this design we wanted to show how simple forms bound into the landscape can create situations of interaction and sociability whilst also functioning as abstract symbols open to free interpretation.
Completion date: submission in a limited competition 2001
Budget: £2 million
