Atlantic Station Central Park located in Atlanta, Georgia is the heart of an upscale commercial and residential area. This park is part of an expansion project undertaken by Hines Development to transform the existing site into an open and flexible centralized public space for gathering and events. The park design includes a large green lawn flanked by two “jewel box” eateries, a statement LED video screen, and adorning the plaza is a one of a kind interactive water feature.
The park’s design team had a goal to attract visitors from both the residential and commercial neighborhoods surrounding the park. They also intended to uplift the foot traffic to neighboring retail stores and thus envisioned a water feature that besides being interactive, also created visual, auditory, and cooling experiences for its patrons. With this thought in mind, two circular basins were molded into the open plaza deck. The design has one large and one small diameter basin that are uniformly clad with contrasting black and light gray mortar-set granite. Furthermore, this flexible water feature can be temporarily shut off and drained so that the plaza space can be utilized for special events or gatherings.
This special water feature produces three distinct water effects: a series of fixed vertical aerated nozzles, angled fan nozzles, and a billowing fog system. These effects are used both together and independently with accompanying RGB LED lighting. Additionally, the water feature’s fog and flood chamber were specifically designed to enhance its white noise in order to dampen vehicular traffic sounds from the surrounding area. The permutations offered by these water and lighting effects create dynamic experiences for patrons that vary depending on viewing angles and time of day. This creates an ideal ambiance for patrons to play and rest after a long and tiring day.
For this project, Crystal was approached to provide the custom-designed and fabricated nozzle and LED light pods. We had a goal to create assemblies that would ease the onsite installation process and match the aesthetics of the space being created. Crystal’s stainless steel fabrication shop was able to provide a fully tested product to match these required criteria.
Dan Netz, Principal from Fountain Source and the water feature engineer for this project, shared “I chose Crystal over all other brands out there because it is the most reliable company, especially second to none when it comes to a range of durable lighting options. The custom grate and pod assembly exceeded the team’s expectations and blended in perfectly with the complete project, enhancing its operational effectiveness.”
Atlantic Station’s versatile water feature will continue to draw visitors from all over Atlanta and will evolve with the expanding neighborhood.