The gateway Fanfare Fountains and Water Features were designed to accentuate the New LA Waterfront. This project was the worlds largest waterfront development and enhancement for a community. This water front was roughly a 15 million dollar project.
The Gateway Fanfare project consists of two main fountains. The fountains are 250 feet long and 100 feet wide. They are shaped to appear as a sailboat from overhead. They have a black granite infinity edge, creating a waterfall over the basin ledge. The water then flows under the walkway, creating the illusions that visitors are actually walking through the water.
The construction for this plaza was very important, as it was a very high profile project. Construction including many types of projects including excavation, grading, dry and wet utilities, asphalt and concrete paving, flat work, mechanical and electrical work, and fountain design to name just a few. This construction project has brought even more water to the Port of Los Angeles. These fountains create a harbor enlivening feature for San Pedro. The water features opened July 25, 2008. These were key aspects in creating a vital public space, uniting the landscapes and people of San Pedro and Los Angeles, giving a renewed sense of spirit and environment to the port.
The Fanfare creates a dramatic entrance for visitors and residents to the harbor. It features 58 choreographed water jets. Whether you come to the harbor by land or sea the Harbor is an exciting and wonderful welcome. There is an arc of canary island palm trees that dots the entire length of the water feature, and the wooden benches create a wonderful place to sit and take in all the views of the area!
A great feature to the water front is a sunken pathway the cuts through the main fountain, making the visitor completely surrounded by vertical and fan-shaped jets. The jets move, almost as if dancing, to a wonderful mix of classical, popular, and even movie soundtracks. Some of the songs include O Sole Mio (Luciano Pavarotti), O Marijana (John Duda Tamburitzas), and Fanfare for the Common Man (Leonard Bernstein / New York Philharmonic). The idea was to create a reflection of the diverse community and heritage of the culture in the San Pedro area. The second fountain is located just a short walk down the Harbor boulevard Parkway Promenade at Second Street and Harbor Boulevard. This is another interactive fountain that has no boundaries. People of all ages, young or old, as well as animals can play in the leaping jets of water that spring from the pavement. It is an interactive and exciting experience for all, especially on those hot summer days!
The main fountains have 400,000 gallons of water recycled through the feature, which is safe for animals and people alike. The fountains are synchronized to lights and music. The fountain shows occur daily from summer to November typically, with one song every thirty minutes from 10 am to 10 pm. From 12:00 noon to 1:00pm the songs are every 10 minutes. The evening show is from 8-9pm, with one song every 10 minutes.
The Fanfare Gateway Water Features were designed by WET Design in Sun Valley California. This was the same group that designed the Fountains of the Bellagio, Universal CityWalk, and the Tokyo Dome. The landscaping and construction was done by EDAW of San Francisco. These two groups worked together to create a setting that invites exploration, recreation, and commerce. It creates a relationship between the community and the environment.
