Built in 1986, the Segerstrom Center for the Arts is a cultural landmark in Costa Mesa, CA, which through the years has undergone expansion projects to further develop it as a premier performance venue. Most recently, a stunning fountain constructed of black basalt from China was designed to create a focal attraction at the main entrance to the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.
“The design criteria was to provide a dramatic visual emphasis for the arrival, enhancing the experience with spirited water expressions that were iconic and in harmony with the buildings dramatic arch and the ‘Fire Bird’ sculpture by Richard Lippold,” explained Tom Yankelitis, principal and vice president of Fluidity Design Consultants Inc. in Los Angeles, CA, who designed the fountain. “The form of the waterjet arrangement drew inspiration from Alexander Calder’s ‘Flamingo’ sculpture at Federal Plaza in Chicago. Custom one-of-a-kind waterjets were developed to work at a scale necessary to fill the space above the reflection pool.