Crown Fountain

Crown Fountain isn’t your typical water feature. Made up of two 50-foot glass block towers facing each other across a long reflecting pool, it fuses architecture, video art, and the sounds of joyful chaos into one living, breathing piece of public art. Water cascades down the sides of each tower year-round, but during warmer months, it’s what happens between the two that truly brings the space to life.

The LED screens embedded inside the towers showcase a rotating collection of faces of Chicago—real residents from all walks of life—who appear to watch the world with quiet smiles, blinking eyes, and the occasional playful spout of water that streams from their puckered lips. It’s part sculpture, part social mirror, part splash pad. And it’s unlike anything else in the world.

Two Glass Block Towers:

Each 50 feet tall, designed by Krueck + Sexton Architects in collaboration with Plensa, using over 1,000 glass blocks and a steel framework to create a transparent but monolithic look.

Reflecting Pool:

A sleek black granite basin between the towers creates a mirror-like surface—shallow enough for safe play, but dramatic enough for reflection (literal and emotional).

Barco LED Display System:

Each tower houses a high-tech Barco LED screen capable of showing detailed video portraits. It’s both a digital art installation and an architectural feat.

Video Portraits:

Around 1,000 Chicago residents were filmed for the project by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, creating a diverse and deeply local experience.

Waterfall Effect:

Water flows continuously down the sides of the towers, adding a soothing soundscape to the city’s hustle.

Spouting Faces:

At timed intervals, the faces "pucker" and a burst of water shoots out—a cheeky nod to traditional gargoyle fountains, reimagined for the 21st century.