Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain

London, United Kingdom | 2004

Opened by HM the Queen in 2004, the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain was one of the most high-profile, publicly funded projects in the UK and has since attracted millions of visitors. Our design expresses the concept of ‘Reaching out – letting in’, taken from the qualities of the Princess of Wales that were most loved: her inclusiveness and accessibility. The fountain’s sculptural form is integrated into the natural slope of land in London’s Hyde Park and is designed to radiate energy outward as well as draw people inwards.

A popular place for visitors to engage with the water, the fountain has detailed grooves and channels which combine with air jets to animate the water and create different effects. Approximately 100 litres per second of water is pumped up hill which then divides at the top and diverts downhill in two streams to form a still, reflective basin. Designed and cut using ground-breaking digital technology, the fountain is made from 545 pieces of Cornish granite.

The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain pushed the boundaries of landscape design in the United Kingdom and has received overwhelming public acclaim since completion.

“Is it by chance or design that Kathryn Gustafson and Neil Porter appear to have designed a near perfect metaphor for the life of Diana?

Water ebbs, flows, gushes and chuckles round and around this prescribed oval course of beautifully cut granite slabs, before filtering out to a wider and more receptive world...”
— Jonathan Glancey, The Guardian (2004)
 
 

In this clip, taken from the BBC's 'Diana Remembered' 2004 broadcast, Kathryn Gustafson and Neil Porter talk about the concept behind the design and development of the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park.

Awards

2008    Highly Commended, AIA/UK Chapter Excellence in Design Awards
2007    International Architecture Awards, The Chicago Athenaeum
2006    Natural Stone Award, Stone Federation
2005    Shortlist, Design Week Awards