Last summer I had the opportunity to spend a few hours in London between flights and took the time to go to Hyde Park. While there I had my first, and so far only, experience with the Princess Diana Fountain. At the time I was unaware of the controversy surrounding the memorial. Instead, I found myself impressed with the design, nature, and use of the fountain.
I have visited many monuments over the years and there are several that stand out to me. There are many more that are lost in the milleau of time and experience. One of the common features of monuments is the desire to reinforce the importance of the individual and her or his contributions. Memorials to individuals such as Thomas Jefferson or Franklin D. Roosevelt are static, fixed in time and space, and range from small to large. Their importance is to provide recognition to the individual for contributions to society and to help secure their place in history. They are places for viewing, often supported with visitor centers, but not really places for people.
The simplicity of the Kennedy eternal flame is beautiful and its setting in Arlington National Cemetery creates a sense of reverence. In the few times I have been to this site I find other visitors in a quiet, contemplative mood.
The Iwo Jima Marine Corp monument has less of a sense of reverence or wonder. It stands at a busy intersection. When the Marine Corps Drum and Bugle Corps plays on Thursday afternoons in the summer it draws its largest crowd, but to view the drum and bugle corp, not the monument. From a personal perspective, I gain a sense of sacrifice when I view it. That sacrifice comes not from the monument, but from the knowledge that my father was among the first wave of Marines at Iwo Jima. A monument, then, may have individual impact for some and none for others.
A sense of sacrifice is more prevalent at the Viet Nam Memorial. Yet, even this sense of sacrifice may be limited to one or two generations. The presence and design of the memorial will have an impact for generations, as has the Washington Monument, but will it become another part of a tourist checklist rather than a focus of a time that changed American for ever?
In the context of such types of experiences with monuments, I found myself greatly surprised as I discovered the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain. My first impressions were of a temporary fence to control entrance to the site, of a ranger present to control actions at the monument, and of lots of people. I began to take photos and spent time walking the circumference of the memorial.
As I wandered around the fountain’s furthest point from the entrance I became aware of something I did not expect to see. I realized from my vantage point I was at the high point of the monument. I could see everyone else at the monument with almost no movement of my head. I had a panoramic view! Then I discovered I was the only single person present. Monuments located in parks frequently have single visitors, but that wasn’t apparent here. Rather there were groups of friends and families.
At a small bridge I saw a father place his camera on the grass, preset to shoot, and gather with his wife and children for a photo to commemorate their presence. Closer to the entrance I viewed groups of people composed of friends, families, and extended families. They seemed to be sitting on the walls of the monument watching the water flow by, or dangling their feet in the water. It was a cool, but sunny June day in London. On first observation one might conclude that it was groups of singles and couples, but on closer observation it became clear most groups were 3 or larger (mostly larger) and they were in no hurry to leave. As I continued to observe I saw considerable interaction occurring. People were drawn by the monument. It provided a sense of place for park visitors and for those who came specifically for the monument.
I saw the monument as a gathering place, as a place where people can enjoy themselves. I saw people taking time out of their lives to stop, visit, reflect, walk away from their daily requirements. It can and probably is also a place for individuals, but the short time I spent there was a time for families, friends, and groupings.
The BBC shared insights from the designer as well as provided a description of the site:
One side of the fountain will see water bubbling down a gentle slope, while the other stream will tumble and cascade before both paths flow into a tranquil pool.
Gustafson said the contrasting halves would reflect the different parts of the princess’s life – the joyous times but also the turmoil she experienced.
Gustafson said, “The concept is based upon the qualities of the Princess that were the most loved and cherished… inclusiveness and accessibility”
“The fountain also reflects parts of the Princess’s life – on one side the water bubbles and effervesces down a gentle slope, whereas on the other side it tumbles down, cascades, then ‘rocks and rolls’ from side to side in a joyous way, before turning over on itself, perhaps representing the turmoil in her life.
“Both sides finally flow into a tranquil, peaceful, calm pool.”In a society where speed, power, individual focus, and a certain level of ruthlessness seem to be honored, it is nice to see a monument that focuses on the human side and invites individuals to return to a sense of humanity, a sense of eternal purpose, a focus on doing and giving rather than collecting and hoarding. The monument’s benefactors and landscape architect are to be congratulated for creating a monument that is so human and draws people to pause and reflect.
Additional sites related to the Memorial Fountain
