As Lincoln Center greets summer by opening its spiffed-up new public spaces, including the swoopy new rooftop lawn above the still-unfinished restaurant and razzle-dazzle LEDs on the stairs, some gremlins appear to have turned the fountain in the center of the plaza into the high-culture version of an open fire hydrant. Four-story jets of water have lately been shooting up into oncoming gusts of wind, spraying the plaza and soaking unsuspecting visitors in the seconds before they can scatter. WET Design, which choreographed the dancing fountain, had promised a more sober, tasteful act than its magnum opus, the explosive aquatic chorus line at the Bellaggio in Las Vegas. Wind sensors are supposed to keep the burbling low on breezy days. But a Lincoln Center spokesperson said that the cultural complex has been testing new configurations, ramping up the fountain’s acrobatics for benefits and other special events. It’s nice to know, when an errant cannonball of water comes plummeting down on your shoulders, that at least the gala audiences watching from the balcony of Avery Fisher Hall are being profitably entertained.
Related: A Critical Look at the Renovation of Lincoln Center [NYM]
Earlier: The New Lincoln Center Fountain Demands Our Attention
