Property Trivia
Question: Who is responsible for the design of Fountain Place?
Answer: Some of the most respected architects and landscape designers in the United States. Harry Cobb, a founding partner of the firm of I. M. Pei & Partners focused his internationally acclaimed abilities on the design of Fountain Place. The plaza reflects the visionary landscaping of Dan Kiley, of Kiley-Walker and the unique sensitivities and master-planning capabilities of architect Harry Weese, of Harry Weese & Associates.
Question: Why did the architects design an all-glass skyscraper?
Answer: From the time Harry Cobb and I.M. Pei arrived at the classic prismatic shape of Fountain Place, it was apparent that the building’s crystalline form could best be expressed in glass. In their judgement, granite or any other solid, defined material would have compromised the sculptural quality of the design.
Question: How many panes of glass were used on the exterior of the tower and why did they choose green glass?
Answer: Almost 30,000 panes of glass cover the exterior of the tower. Color and dimension were by no means sacrificed by the choice of glass, since the tower’s surface is overlaid with a delicate woven pattern of dark green and silver mullions. The beauty and complexity of the surrounding environment is also captured by the quiet, reflective nature of the green-tinted glass. At the plaza level, the building represents a tapestry of trees and fountains, while above, the tower reflect an ever-changing panorama of clouds and sky.
Question: Why did the designer choose cypress trees?
Answer: After a great deal of research, Dan Kiley determined that cypress trees were the natural choice for Fountain Place. Hardy and fast-growing, these native Texas trees already grace some of the most scenic attractions in the state, including the Fort Worth Water Gardens and the San Antonio Riverwalk. Their fairly consistent shape and height also made them ideal for the formal grid pattern that Kiley envisioned for the ground level of the project.
Question: How are all the trees cared for?
Answer: Each cypress tree has its own compartment equipped with a watering system which is constantly monitored. The trees were growing out of their compartments, so in 1999 a full replacement program with farm-grown containerized trees was started. Great efforts were made to recycle all removed trees, and now they serve a second life as stepping stones, carved artwork, mulch and furniture in Texas and Oklahoma.
Question: How many gallons of water are in the fountains?
Answer: Approximately 2,000,000 gallons of water are pumped throughout the plaza, with 35,000 gallons circulated every minute in approximately 10 miles of piping.
Question: What is in the point of the building and can I get up there?
Answer: The point actually houses mechanical equipment which serves the building. The 57th and 58th floors are private conference room areas. There are no observation decks at Fountain Place® since there is no roof, and for this reason, we cannot accommodate the many requests for a “birds-eye” view.
Question: How big is Fountain Place?
Answer: Fountain Place is one of the tallest structurally glazed buildings in the world at 60 stories and 1.2 million square feet.
Question: Has Fountain Place® ever been featured on TV or in a movie?
Answer: Fountain Place has been used for numerous “Walker Texas Ranger” episodes, the “Dallas” TV reunion show, the Disney movie “Blank Check” and numerous TV commercials.
Question: Has Fountain Place been featured as a world-class skyscraper?
Answer: Yes, Fountain Place is featured on page 90 in Judith Dupre’s book Skyscrapers as one of the world’s most famous and important buildings.