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4.5
1,708 votes

Crown Fountain

South Michigan Avenue Loop, Chicago, Illinois 60601 USA

Free
Free to Visit
Closed Now
Opens Fri 6a
  • Independent
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“interactive work of public art”

Crown A Fountain is an interactive work of public art and video sculpture featured in Chicago's Millennium Park, which is located in the Loop community area. Designed by Catalan artist Jaume Plensa and executed by Krueck and Sexton Architects, it opened in July 2004. The fountain is composed of a black granite reflecting pool placed between a pair of glass brick towers. The towers are 50 feet tall,and they use light-emitting diodes to display digital videos on their inward faces. Construction and design of the Crown Fountain cost $17 million. Weather permitting, the water operates from May to October, intermittently cascading down the two towers and spouting through a nozzle on each tower's front face. Residents and critics have praised the fountain for its artistic and entertainment features. It highlights Plensa's themes of dualism, light, and water, extending the use of video technology from his prior works. Its use of water is unique among Chicago's many fountains, in that it promotes physical interaction between the public and the water. Both the fountain and Millennium Park are highly accessible because of their universal design. Crown Fountain has been one of the most controversial of all the Millennium Park features. Before it was even built, some were concerned that the sculpture's height violated the aesthetic tradition of the park. After construction, surveillance cameras were installed atop the fountain, which led to a public outcry (and their quick removal). However, the fountain has survived its somewhat contentious beginnings to find its way into Chicago pop culture. It is a popular subject for photographers and a common gathering place. While some of the videos displayed are of scenery, most attention has focused on its video clips of local residents; hundreds of Chicagoans visit the fountain hoping to see themselves appearing on one of the fountain's two screens. The fountain is a public play area and offers people an escape from summer heat, allowing children to frolic in the fountain's water

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Reviewed by
Greg Newkirk

  • Expert
  • 314 Reviews
  • 374 Helpful
July 02, 2014
Rated 4.0

I love this fountain so much. A lot of people think it's tacky and doesn't fit in with Millennium Park's sleeker art pieces (like "Cloud Gate aka The Bean), but kids think it's the greatest thing ever.

Basically, it's a giant video screen that shows a rotating group of faces that "spit" at you. In the summer, you can head down to the park on a got day and take a run through the streams.

4 people found this review helpful

Reviewed by
sergey.beresnev

  • 1 Review
  • 0 Helpful
January 28, 2014
Rated

ololo

1 person found this review helpful

Reviewed by
Ken Valuska

  • Expert
  • 594 Reviews
  • 177 Helpful
February 24, 2016
Rated 5.0

Went back recently, still really fun to see in the summer and I am always curious who came up with this idea haha. Really entertaining for some reason, I like to stop by every time I'm visiting Chicago

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Reviewed by
Ken Valuska

  • Expert
  • 594 Reviews
  • 177 Helpful
October 09, 2014
Rated 5.0

As a kid, this was my favorite thing about Chicago. Something about running in the water as it shoots out of the mouth of the video on a summer day in Chicago. It's epic. Even as an adult, I always try to come here if I'm visiting.

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Crown Fountain

South Michigan Avenue Loop
Chicago, Illinois
60601 USA
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Hours

Closed Now
  • Sun - Sat: 6:00 am - 11:00 pm

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