A new basin and underground vault were engineered as part of updates to improve the historic fountain’s safety and continued functionality.

The Swann Memorial Fountain (also known as the Fountain of the Three Rivers), by sculptor Alexander Stirling Calder and architect Wilson Eyre, was built in 1924 in Philadelphia’s Logan Circle. Over time, leaks in the basin developed and water exposure to the fountain’s lights and wiring became a public safety concern.

Keast & Hood designed a new underground vault with twelve radiating tunnel spokes. Openings in the precast concrete tunnels allow for access to lighting and fountain jets without the need to turn off the fountain. The vault was constructed of dense concrete and epoxy-coated reinforcing steel. Following placement of compacted backfill, a new basin was installed using dense concrete and galvanized reinforcing steel. Above-ground, all of the pink granite rimstones were reset and the basin concrete coated for water resistance. The three central sculptural figures were relocated during repairs and reinstalled on a new concrete pedestal – grounded electrically with a central core of galvanized reinforcing steel. The smaller turtle and frog sculptures were also reset.

A new basin and underground vault were engineered as part of updates to improve the historic fountain’s safety and continued functionality.

The Swann Memorial Fountain (also known as the Fountain of the Three Rivers), by sculptor Alexander Stirling Calder and architect Wilson Eyre, was built in 1924 in Philadelphia’s Logan Circle. Over time, leaks in the basin developed and water exposure to the fountain’s lights and wiring became a public safety concern.

Keast & Hood designed a new underground vault with twelve radiating tunnel spokes. Openings in the precast concrete tunnels allow for access to lighting and fountain jets without the need to turn off the fountain. The vault was constructed of dense concrete and epoxy-coated reinforcing steel. Following placement of compacted backfill, a new basin was installed using dense concrete and galvanized reinforcing steel. Above-ground, all of the pink granite rimstones were reset and the basin concrete coated for water resistance. The three central sculptural figures were relocated during repairs and reinstalled on a new concrete pedestal – grounded electrically with a central core of galvanized reinforcing steel. The smaller turtle and frog sculptures were also reset.

CLIENT: George Patton Landscape Architects
LOCATION: Philadelphia, PA

TYPE: Historic, Landscape, Special, SERVICES: Historic Preservation, Renovation, Restoration, Structural Intervention, MATERIALS: Concrete, Masonry, Other, SUSTAINABILITY: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Primary photograph courtesy of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation