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Tag Archive: Fountains

London’s Most Beautiful Shelter?

Written on September 1, 2011 by Peter Berthoud in Architecture, Fountains, Gardens, Sculpture

Outside Green Park station work to relocate this statue and fountain is almost complete. “Diana of the Treetops” by Estcourt J. Clack was originally unveiled in 1954. To see pictures of the statue in the original location and for more details, see this previous post.

The statue has been fully restored and is now accented in Gold.

It stands at the end of a ramp leading into the new entrance to the station from the park. The mound has been planted as a wild-flower meadow.

The hoardings around the other new entrance to the station, on the South of Piccadilly, are also coming down. This is the new station shelter seen from the Piccadilly side.

This seemingly modest structure has been constructed to the very highest standard. Beneath the copper roof is some beautifully worked Portland stone.

Portland stone is a staple building material in London, from St Paul’s Cathedral to The National Gallery, The Bank of England to The British Museum. The Jurassic stone is packed full of fossils. Here at Green Park the stone has been skilfully worked to accentuate their visibility.

The artist John Maine RA has created a frieze relief that runs around the entire structure. In this he has carved new large scale “fossils” into the Portland cladding.

John Maine has a particular interest in setting sculpture in relation to landscape and architecture. More details about his work can be found at the Royal Academy website. He is also responsible for the subtle granite paving outside the new station entrance.

The whole structure has been produced with such attention to detail and such craftsmanship that a simple shelter has become a work of art.

The relocated statue and the shelter are both part of a £60 million project to provide new step-free entrances and new lifts at the station. Acanthus LW were responsible for developing the original design by Capita Architecture and there are a few more details at their website.

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Nymph Returns to Carlos Place

Written on June 26, 2011 by Peter Berthoud in Sculpture

The statue of a Nymph that stood outside the Connaught Hotel in Carlos Place, Mayfair has returned.

This somewhat clumsy piece had been removed to allow the installation of the magnificent new Tadao Ando water feature. It’s old plinth now stands in Mount Street Gardens. This week the nymph returned to squat in Carlos Place.

The statue is by Emilio Greco and dates to 1973. The inscription reminds us that the fountain and statue were “‘A gift to the City of Westminster from the President of the Italian Republic 20th November 1987. Sponsored by the Italian Banks in London”. The good people at London Remembers tell me that an identical statue is located in Padua.

The statue certainly looks happier on it’s new marble plinth but somehow it seems to detract from the Ando just a few feet behind.

The Ando fountain, Silence, was bound to overshadow anything in it’s immediate proximity, so perhaps the nymph should have travelled just a few yards further, together with it’s old plinth, to Mount Street Gardens?

See labels for links to related posts.

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E J Clack to Move Centre Stage at Green Park Station

Written on June 14, 2011 by Peter Berthoud in Fountains, Sculpture

This water-fountain and statue that stood in The Green Park for over 50 years has been permanently removed from it’s original location.

This is the site now, tarmac is being removed , the pinth, fountain and statue are long gone.

But they will be back with a vengeance in 2012, when the work at Green Park Station is complete.

Green Park Station and the surrounding area are currently undergoing major works, in time for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Part of the scheme includes a brand new entrance to the Tube station direct from the park. When it is complete, this fountain will be re-sited as the centrepiece of this new entrance.

The statue is “Diana of the Treetops” by Estcourt J. Clack originally unveiled in 1954. In the base is a water fountain and even a water fountain for dogs.

Estcourt J. Clack, known as Jim, was a full-time woodwork teacher at Blundell’s School in Halberton, Devon. He won a competition to produce this fountain. It is one of the many fountains commissioned by the Constance Fund in London.

The Constance Fund was set up artist Sigismund C.H.Goetze’s widow, Constance, in his memory. Its aim was “to encourage and promote the art of sculpture in London Parks.”.

The only other EJ Clack I know of in London, is the Charles Dickens Plaque on Marylebone Road. I am pleased that this, his previously lesser seen work, will now be in such a prominent position. Who knows, there may even be postcards of it by this time next year and “Jim Clack” might soon be a household name!

More on the history of this fountain from the National Archives here

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London’s Newest and Most Beautiful Water Feature?

Written on June 9, 2011 by Peter Berthoud in Architecture, Sculpture

The fountain and statue that recently stood in Carlos Place, opposite the Connaught Hotel, have had a dramatic upgrade.

Outside the Connaught now, is this!

The oval shaped infinity pool in the background has replaced the old fountain. The mirror smooth surface of the water plays across glass lenses. The materials and finish are absolutely immaculate.

For most of the time the water calmly trickles serenely over the edge but periodically vents around the two trees, encircled by the pool, begin to emit a beautiful mist. And then this happens:

It is surprising, exciting and relaxing all at once, quite the most beautiful water feature I think I have ever seen. My video doesn’t do it justice and I hear that when it is lit up at night it looks even better.

The work is by Tadao Ando, one of Japan’s most respected architects, and a man often referred to as “the world ‘s greatest living architect.” The piece is entitled “Silence”. It has been jointly commissioned by the Connaught Hotel, The Grosvenor Estate and Westminster City Council.

Previously the site had been home to another fountain and a statue of a nymph. Both were “”‘A Gift to the City of Westminster from the President of the Italian Republic 20th November 1987. Sponsored by the Italian Banks in London”

The statue of a nymph will shortly be returning to the new plinth you can see in front of the fountain. Whilst the original base of the fountain is now in nearby Mount Street Gardens.