Texas, US | Architectural Oddities
Originally built as a relaxing escape from the urban environment surrounding it, the Fort Worth Water Gardens experienced a tragic event when a child fell into the ‘active pool’ which has a 38 foot series of terraces and steps which water cascades down collecting in a small pool at the bottom. Recent heavy rains and a malfunctioning recirculating pump led to a deeper than intended pool and in trying to rescue the child, two other children and an adult perished in the abnormally swollen pool. On June 16, 2004 the park was closed to the public.
Designed by the architect Philip Johnson of New York, the urban park was completed in 1974. After extensive renovation of the park and modification to the main pool, the water gardens were reopened in the Spring of 2007. Located on 4.3 acres, just south of downtown Fort Worth, the park consists of three separate pools, each providing a unique ambiance.
The quiet, or meditation, pool is completely surround by trees and is a large, tranquil body of water. The entire area around the quiet pool is designed to make one feel small and humbled, as there are no human sized objects. The aeration pool consists of 40 nozzles spraying 871 gallons of water every minute. The mist from the nozzles creates the illusion of a water bridge connecting one side of the walkway to the other. The pool, however, is 40 feet deep, and attempting to cross the misty bridge would not be advisable. The water of the active pool cascades down a series of steps and platforms, to the pool below. Since the park’s modification, it has been made safer to descend the walkway of the active pool, as the main body of water has been reduced to 2 ft from the previous 9 ft.
The Fort Worth Water Gardens have been utilized in the film adaptations of two science-fiction novels. Released in 1976, Logan’s Run features shots of the active pool. In 1979, PBS produced a film based on Ursula Le Guinn’s ‘The Lathe of Heaven’, which also uses shots of the water gardens.
