Renaissance Plaza
White Plains, New York, USA  

Project Features:

• 4 Shallow raised pools surrounded by pedestrian paths
• 75 Waterswitches spout water 15 feet high (4.5 meters)
• 24 Waterswitches reach heights of 25 feet (7.6 meters)
• 3 Superjets shoot water as high as 60 feet (18 meters) in the air
• 13 Leaper jets shoot water from one pond to another
• 160 submersible lights
• Sound system and computer controllers
• Fog machine

About the Project:

The City of White Plains New York was looking for a way to revitalize the downtown core and chose an old, overgrown park surrounded by highrise buildings, measuring just 70 feet (21 meteres) by 20 feet (6 meters) long, intersecting the city's two main streets. Its goal was to attract people, investment, renovation and development. Landscape architects Sasaski took advantage of its unlikely setting and based on research into successful urban parks designed one with lots of greenery and the natural human attraction to water. A one-of-a-kind musical fountain was created that draws people right to the heart of the plaza. The fountain has a regular schedule of water shows programmed to 20 different songs. During quiet times, the fountain encourages people to sit, relax and listen. The plaza has quickly become a civic landmark and encouraged 1,700 units of new residential housing in the surrounding area.