Hasta La Ideas

From Op-Art: Thirsting for Fountains, in the New York Times this morning:

If drinking fountains were as ubiquitous as fire hydrants, there would be no need for steel thermoses, plastic bottles or backpack canteens. Thirsty folks could just amble over to the next corner for a sip of free-of-charge, ecofriendly, delicious water. But there are only about 2,700 public fountains in New York—and those are mostly confined to our parks and playgrounds—so we’re still forced, in the dehydrating August heat, to carry our water around with us, like camels.

In support of more water fountains (and less steel thermoses), the NYT Op-Ed department asked eight illustrators to spend an hour at their local fountain, taking notes on its qualities and clientele. The result is a mini-catalog of water fountains across the United States, from the generic to the majestic. Diverse in form, they mostly worked well, serving a steady queue of people. One exception: Los Angeles’ Westwood Park fountain, which was “lukewarm with a sour mineral taste,” approached by no one except the illustrator himself. Despite its obvious shortcomings, we thought this fountain’s design was unique, which makes us wonder—isn’t this a perfect arena for design exploration? Is there more great stuff we can do with water fountains beyond making them accessible to children and dogs? Can water fountains delight as well as serve?

See all of the illustrations and observations here.

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