Lincoln Center Revson Fountain
Fact Sheet

Project Description:

Lincoln Center’s Revson Fountain located on Josie Robertson Plaza, described by many as the main lobby to the entire campus, is considered to be the complex’s most recognizable destination for countless New Yorkers and visitors from around the world. The Revson Fountain has been redesigned to reference the earlier water feature designed by Philip Johnson, and has been given the appearance of a floating granite ring, opening views across the Plaza in all directions. The pool of water, formerly retained by the solid granite base of the original fountain, has been converted to a shallow water surface at Plaza level. New technologies provide automated windspray sensors that adjust water pressure, height, and volume. Special nozzles and lighting systems allow for a multitude of special-effect water and light configurations and upgrades.

The new Revson Fountain features concentric rings of alternating continuously flowing jets and pulsing jets –MicroShooters that are encompassed by a dense outer band of continuously flowing jets. The jets in the outer band are comprised of glassy and frothy water expressions while the jets within the inner concentric rings are glassy expressions. The continuous flowing jets can reach a maximum height of approximately 10-12 feet. The pulsing jets are individually controlled and have the ability to create vertical water expressions between 6 inches and 40 feet in height. The feature has a wide range of breadth in terms of choreography and can for example, create a wide range of water expressions from slow morphing geometric masses to fast paced chases. At night the feature is vibrantly illuminated with white light.

The original fountain was made possible by a special gift from the Revlon Foundation. The Philip Johnson-designed fountain was formally dedicated in honor of Revlon founder, Charles H. Revson, on April 6, 1964. Nearly 40 years later, Lincoln Center was honored when its plan to redesign and refurbish the fountain as part of a campus-wide redevelopment initiative was met with great enthusiasm by the Revson family and the Charles H. Revson Foundation. In May 2006, the foundation’s board of trustees awarded a generous $4 million mu lti-year grant to Lincoln Center’s Bravo Campaign in support of redevelopment and the redesign of the Revson Fountain. Charles H. Revson, Jr., member of the Revson family, and trustees of the Revson Foundation were in attendance on September 30, 2009 when Lincoln Center formally dedicated the redesigned Revson Fountain.

Location:

Josie Robertson Plaza , Columbus Avenue between 62nd & 65th Streets

Architects:

Diller Scofidio + Renfro in association with
Beyer Blinder Belle Architects and Planners

Design Team:

WET Design

Original Architect:

Philip Johnson

Key Dates:

April 6, 1964, Lincoln Center Revson Fountain completed
June 12, 2006, Promenade Project announced
January 2008, Groundbreaking for Promenade Project
October 1, 2009, Fountain completed

Dimensions:

Original Revson Fountain:

42 feet 4 inches in diameter by 28 inches high.

New Revson Fountain:

42 feet four inches in diameter by 25 inches high.

Featuring 353 Nozzles

• 36 MicroShooters* (A device that uses air pressure to propel water into the air and is more efficient than regular analog pumps pushing water through nozzles to precisely control the height and length of each shot of water. The MicroShooters will regularly be running at around 20 pounds per square inch, but are capable of running at pressures up to 60 and can shoot between zero and 40 feet.)
• 149 Smooth Bore Analog Nozzles* (A nozzle in which the interior section of the nozzle is completely smooth and water is allowed to pass through the nozzle with minimal disturbance, producing a stream that is smooth and clear. The 12 radial patterned Analog Nozzle rows shoot between zero and 12 feet.)
• 168 Aerating Analog Nozzles* (A nozzle that mixes air and water as the stream passes through the nozzle. The display from these nozzles is full, frothy and white. The outer three rings of nozzles shoot between zero and 10 feet.)

272 PicoLights* (a 100 watt light fixture that focuses the beam output in a very efficient manner to illuminate columns of water more effectively than any other underwater light fixture) – to change colors a colored gel must be placed over the lens of each light.

When the fountain is running at full capacity it will be running just over 16,500 gallons per minute.

There is approximately ½ mile of piping serving the fountain. It ranges in diameter from 6” to 18”.

Building Materials:

Granite:

Cambrian Black Granite from Canada for Revson Fountain Ring