Watering Garden

A gargantuan watering can stands 17 feet high as the centre piece of this water play plaza in Victoria’s historic Beacon Hill Park. The design references the city’s fairy tale persona and nurtures its young citizens. User activated buttons trigger a sequence of surprising water events ranging from mist clouds which make rainbows in the sun, to cheeky water globs and jets. The ensuing splashing and laughter bring a joyful air to the park.

Victoria’s poet laureate, Clara Funk, was commissioned to write a poem for the plaza. Titled “Invitation”, the words are sandblasted into a large sheet of granite located near the gurgling drain of the plaza.

Title
Watering Garden
Location
Beacon Hill Park, Victoria, BC, Canada
Client
City of Victoria
Completed
2008
Studio Team
Bill Pechet, Heidi Nesbitt, Andrew McLean
Project Team
Pechet and Robb art and architecture Ltd., PWL Partnership Landscape Architects Inc.
Fabrication
Accent Stainless Steel Manufacturing Ltd.
Images
Bill Pechet