2008 Water: WET Landscape Architect: EDAW Photography: WET The San Pedro Gateway Fountain is the nucleus of a larger reclamation project that spans seven miles of waterfront with a green belt of promenades and public parks that are parallel to the busy working port. The project brings visitors in direct contact with super scaled cruise vessels, giant steel cranes, the iconic Vincent Thomas Bridge, and natural marshlands. Through the contrast of the fountain with its surrounding industrial aesthetic, each are emphasized and distinguished. The San Pedro Gateway Fountain can be accessed by foot, by ship and by the Red Car Line that runs parallel to the main promenade, from the Cruise Center to Ports O’ Call Village. The fountain can be seen from the decks of cruise ships, surrounding promenades at the port, from vehicular traffic on Harbor Boulevard and from the Vincent Thomas Bridge. A raised platform of water, three quarters of an acre in size, establishes a reflective mirror-like stage from which vertical water elements emerge. The site’s length and grade change are emphasized by variations in height and a dramatic tapering of the base, creating an animated experience for those pedestrians that walk the length of the fountain. Visitors can also brave a path, cut directly through the fountain to be enveloped by spectacular vertical water. Water walls wrap the walkway, highlighting the dynamic of being surrounded by moving water. Atop the water stage, a variety of water elements enliven the site with splaying water forms that swirl and bow in ambling gestures. These contrast with percussive pulses of kinetic water plumes that reach heights of one hundred feet. After dark, white light saturates the fountain for an elating and romantic evening event.