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by Chocolate
A spot like this for me is Cat Fountain, more formally known as Skyline Park . Skyline Park is split into sections, and stretches for a number of city blocks along Arapahoe Street in downtown Denver , Colorado. Cat Fountain is one of two fountains found along Skyline Park . It was constructed in 1974 by Lawrence Halprin as part of an innovative design that created a refuge in the very heart of downtown. It was recently redesigned in May of 2003 by Thomas Balsley Associated of New York, however the original fountains of Lawrence Halprin's design remain. I learned all this from a few simple Google searches during another wasted night in front of my monitor.
After discovering that it was designed by Halprin, I did a few more searches to find out what he was
all about. I wasn't shocked when I discovered that he had also designed other parks and fountains
across the United States, a few of which I immediately realized could prove to be some damn good
playgrounds for traceurs who live in those cities. I told Demon about Halprin, and
he checked the guy out himself. He was quick to point out that, "Hey, I recognize some of these other
places from videos." I checked up a little, and realized this Halprin guy has really made a big
contribution to the Parkour community across America.
With that said, here's a short background on Lawrence Halprin, followed by a list of some of his other
Projects across America. Halprin was born on July 1, 1916 in New York City. He earned a degree in
plant sciences from Cornell University, later attending Harvard Graduate School of Design. In 1943
Halprin was commissioned in the US Navy as a Lieutenant Junior Grade. He was assigned to the destroyer
Morris in the Pacific which was attacked and destroyed. After surviving the destruction of the Morris,
Halprin was sent to San Francisco on leave. It was here he would stay following his discharge. While
living in San Francisco, he helped in the development of the contemporary California Style garden
concept. In 1949, Halprin opened his own office. Halprin's work is marked by his attention to human
scale, user experience, and the social impact of his designs. Recently many of Halprin's works have
become the source of some controversy. Some have fallen victim to neglect, and are in states of
disrepair. Budgetary constraints and the urge of some cities to "revitalize" their image threaten
some of his projects. In response to this, foundations have been set up to improve care for some of
the sites in an attempt to preserve them in their original state.Some of Halprin's projects include:
- Visitor attractions at Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park in California
- United Nations Plaza as well as Levi Plaza in San Francisco, California
- Park Newport in Newport Beach , California
- Los Angeles Central Library and Maguire Gardens in Los Angeles, California
- Fountain Park in Sheboygan , Wisconsin
- The Ira Keller Fountain, Lovejoy Plaza Fountain, and Forecourt Plaza Fountain in Portland, Oregon
- Cascade Plaza in Akron, Ohio
- The FDR Memorial in Washington DC
- Seattle Freeway Park in Seattle, Washington
- Skyline Park in Denver, Colorado
- Heritage Park in Fort Worth, Texas
To read more about fountains all over the world, visit the Garden Fountains informational page here.
Sources:
Colorado Preservation, Inc.
Wikipedia
ArchINFORM