STYLE : DESIGN : Fountain of Life

Where North Broadway crosses the Los Angeles River, a large waterwheel once drew the stream into the Zanja Madre (literally, Mother Ditch), which then channeled it into the growing pueblo. Now artist Andrew Leicester of Minneapolis has created an allegorical interpretation of the almost-forgotten Zanja Madre on the South Plaza of the new 801 Tower on South Figueroa. A joint effort by Leicester, architect John Hayes of the Architects Collaborative, R&T; Development and the Community Redevelopment Agency (which mandates that 1% of development costs go to public art), the handsome landmark offers a welcome refuge from the busy city streets.

Leicester’s landscape reflects Southern California’s topography, from the desert mosaic to the garden of paradise--flowering pear and cypress around a stylized fountain pierced by a golden arrowhead. Sentry-like columns mark entry gates clad in the tower’s polished granite as well as glazed and bisque tiles hand-cast by Leicester. Between the fountain and a cactus garden, benches provide the perfect place to reflect on what L.A. might have become sans water.