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Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Fountain!

Some days are more exciting than others.
My favorite time to arrive at the site is just as the sun comes over the mountains.
It turns out this was the exact time the fountain was lifted off its delivery trailer.
My camera looked for detail while the fountain rose.
This was almost as exciting as Moroni's placement last year, except this time I was the only observer outside the fence.
Everyone inside the fence seemed quite pleased.
Besides the new fountain, there are new beehives on the gate posts on the east side.
Once I was sure the fountain was secure, I browsed around.  Geofoam competed for attention.
I don't know how  much more they can stuff in the nooks and crannies.
I was delighted to see the east deck gone.
Nothing blocked my view of the stunning east windows.
Forms for the stairs are rising.  I took this picture while reaching over the construction fence.
I crossed the street for this picture.  I want you to notice that there is no sidewalk.  Cars and people are both careful, though.
To my delight, Dawn and Richard Cowan arrived to see the new fountain, carefully making their way between traffic and the fence.  Dr. Cowan is writing a book about Provo's two temples.  These two people always treat me like I'm the Queen of England, even though I was hardly dressed up.
Dr. Cowan is blind.  I was a little worried about him being so close to traffic, but somehow he manages just fine.  Sister Cowan and I told Dr. Cowan what we were seeing.  There are now windows in the cupola above the pavilion.
While we talked, workmen removed the covering from this window.
Of course I did my best to peek inside.
I described the arches of the wooden grids over the glass to Dr. Cowan.
He reminded me that the windows on the second level are arched.  We discussed the lead arches in the center of these windows and their similarity to the new windows in the pavilion.
As we visited, Sister Cowan noticed the crane moving again.  It was lifting the top of the fountain.
I hadn't realized the fountain was missing any parts.
When the men inside the fence noticed Dr. Cowan, two of the project supervisors walked to the gate to greet him.  Andy Kirby, who is the senior project manager for the construction of the temple, is on the left.  John Emory, who supervises the construction for Jacobsen, is on the right.
I have learned that the best way to learn is to be quiet.  While I did that, those three men discussed the nuances of the fountain, which is cast bronze, about 14 feet high, and was built at a foundry in Lehi.
They told Dr. Cowan that there are eight spillway sections on each tier of the fountain.  These will actually give the fountain the illusion of being an octagon.
Our friend Brian Olson marked one of my photos so we could see where the leaves and the spillway sections differ.
Dawn had earlier pointed out to her husband that there was an exposed shaft at the base of the fountain.  He asked Andy and John about that.  They told him there was a base for the fountain on the site.  Once I knew there was something else to look for, my camera nosed around and found it. This was placed after I left.
I'm pretty excited about the fountain.
Not to mention that it was fun having a crane at the site again.
Of course this project was so big that the red ladders had to help. 
In the north lot, new fence segments are being placed around the garden area.
If you look closely, you can see some of this work from the construction cam.
All in all, I would have to say this was a spectacular morning.
The day itself was beautiful, too.
Little surprises, or big ones, they are all wonderful.

10 comments:

Katshrnk said...

Things are looking more wonderful as the days go by. So glad we will be able to see the pics while we are gone. Leaving tomorrow early. Very excited!

Julie Markham said...

Bet you can walk on the grounds when you return!

Easy_Going_Dad said...

Do I remember you saying that this fountain is a replica, or at least based off of, the original fountain at the intersection of Univ. Ave. and Center from the turn of the century? I drove past the site this afternoon. It's much larger than I realized from your photos! What a magnificent piece of work!

Julie Markham said...

Yes, you remember me saying that. But I looked at pictures this afternoon of the former fountain, and it looks nothing like this fountain. This new fountain is very Victorian, so, so beautiful!

Esperanza said...

Wow! Can I use a larger font? WOW! That is ornate. I had nothing like that in my mind. It is gorgeous.

Ali said...

That fountain is beautiful. I think my favorite picture from this post is the "Holiness to the Lord" sign with the beautiful stained glass windows. It took my breath away when I fist viewed it.

Steve and Elva said...

I don't get the geofoam. Does to serve as the "foundation" of a wall (or other structure) and then it is faced and topped by bricks (or other material). Is it used like in the old days where there would be brick wall consisting of an inside and outside face and then the middle would be filled with rubble or dirt?

Julie Markham said...

The geofoam is a relatively new concept which has taken hold in the construction business. It comes in different densities and weights and can be cut to specific shapes. A post from August 6th, 2014 shows a picture a blog reader sent me of geofoam being used in an exit from I-15 to Brigham city. Since much of the surface area we are now seeing at the temple grounds is actually on top of an underground annex or underground parking areas, the geofoam works very well. It's lighter than dirt and stays put. It might be considered to be in the same category as rubble and dirt, except this is a far superior product.

JayBingham said...

Wow, the fountain is beautiful. I recall our speculations awhile ago about what it would look like. It looks like we were correct in our wishes and desires. But, I think that it exceeded my expectations.
Sorry to be such a late commenter on this but my wife and I were in northern Utah for most of the month of April and we got very busy near the end helping our daughter with our new granddaughter, so I did not get a chance to look at the blog until now. Unfortunately we did not get a chance to drop by the temple site while we were passing through.
Thank you for all you do.

Melanie said...

My husband's family has been in Provo from the earliest settlements. One of his ancestors was a wood-turner, and helped turn the newel posts, and other turnings,for the tabernacle. When I saw your photos of the lost tabernacle woodwork, and realized that the top of the fountain, was a replica of that post, THAT POST!, that I have touched a hundred times, I nearly cried.
I am a transplant to Provo, but I have so many wonderful memories of the tabernacle. Our stake did musicals there back in the 80's. I volunteered to do make-up and hair for "Sound of Music"-- starring ex-police chief, Swen Nielsen, as the Captain. I sat with Geniel Childs in hot make-up trailers parked on the sidewalk by the north entrance. The next year we worked on "The King and I," only this time our workshop was the old furnace building. And finally, I remember playing Aunt Eller in "Oklahoma" on that old plywood stage built around the old pulpit. I had to sing to the back rows, which was tough. Somewhere, I have a video of that performance; I should haul it out. But mainly, I remember the years that my family and I sat in the same place in the balcony, in the corner on the left overlooking the pulpit, every stake conference. In the summer, when it got hot, it took two men to raise the windows to let the breezes in.