A MODERN UPGRADE TO
A HISTORIC CIVIC SPACE
In the heart of downtown Gilbert, Arizona, a small but culturally significant public plaza has undergone a full transformation. Originally built in 2008, the Water Tower Plaza was showing its age by 2022, prompting the Town of Gilbert to reimagine the space for a new generation of users. What began as an infrastructure assessment evolved into a comprehensive redesign of the park’s aquatic features, event space, and overall layout. The result is a flexible, community-driven public space that blends creative placemaking with technical precision.
COMMUNITY-DRIVEN DESIGN
SHAPED BY PUBLIC INPUT
The original plaza included a splash pad, a water wall, and a floating granite ball feature. While these elements were still operational, the underlying systems were outdated, and the layout no longer reflected the demands of downtown Gilbert’s growing population and event programming. In shaping a new vision for the space, the Town of Gilbert placed a strong emphasis on public input. Through community surveys and open houses, residents were presented with visual options and asked to express their preferences on key design elements.
One example involved the selection of the shade structure. Participants were presented with various structural styles and materials and asked to identify the types they were most drawn to. Their feedback helped make the final choice of a translucent canopy that strikes a balance between sun protection and light transmission. Similar exercises were conducted for water feature aesthetics and even ambient sound preferences, ensuring the final design reflected the community’s values not only visually but experientially.
SEPTEMBER 2023
MAY 2025
COLLABORATION
ALIGNING VISION AND EXECUTION
The success of the redevelopment hinged on strong collaboration between multiple project partners. The Town of Gilbert served as the project owner, guiding the vision and facilitating community engagement. J2 Design led the landscape architecture and civil engineering, managing the overall site planning, plaza layout, and integration of public feedback into the final concept. Aqua Design International, brought in for aquatic engineering, conducted the initial assessment of the aging splash pad and water wall systems, and then designed the new mechanical, filtration, and chemical treatment infrastructure required for the updated features.
General contractor Willmeng managed the site build, coordinating construction logistics and overseeing scheduling across trades. Pacific AquaScapes acted as the specialty contractor responsible for installing all water feature components.
CRYSTAL'S ROLE
BRINGING THE FEATURES TO LIFE
Crystal Fountains joined the project during the detailed design phase to support the execution of both the splash pad and water wall systems. Our team supplied all key components, including jets, nozzles, and lighting systems. In close collaboration with Aqua Design, we helped select products that matched the design vision and reflected feedback from the Town of Gilbert’s community engagement process. Our recommendations focused not only on design intent but also on ease of installation and long-term system reliability on site.
To ensure the water features performed as expected, we provided on-site support during commissioning, assisting with calibration and system performance during installation. We also handled in-house show programming, developing custom light and water sequences tailored to the site’s layout, ambient lighting conditions, and user experience goals. These programmed effects enhanced both daytime interaction and nighttime ambience, particularly under the translucent canopy and along the textured surface of the 90-foot water wall.
PROJECT COMPLETION
A PUBLIC SPACE DESIGNED TO PERFORM
The revitalized Water Tower Plaza officially reopened in December 2024 with a community celebration featuring seasonal lighting, artificial snow, and strong local attendance. Now a fully updated civic destination, the plaza balances familiar landmarks, like the water tower and granite ball, with new infrastructure and interactive features that respond to community needs and day-to-day use.
The project serves as an example of what is possible through focused collaboration and shared commitment across disciplines. From early design to final programming, each contributor played a role in delivering a water feature system that performed as designed, integrated seamlessly with surrounding construction, and met the expectations of both the design team and end users.
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