As one can see, this is an image of the water fountain that stands in front of Burruss Hall. I think that, unlike the Quad and certain other landmarks that have been displayed, the water fountain sometimes does not receive the proper attention. It seems to have been designed, in many ways, for the purposes of attraction and design. It is supposed to add another feature to the university as a whole. But, clearly, it does more than this. Though not as successful as the Quad (in terms of overall length and width), this structure also has the intention of getting people together. Again, it is not as large as the Quad, so it will not naturally gather as much attention and gathering. But, it is one place where people can sit by the edge and just talk, do homework, have casual meetings, etc. There are many things that people can do here. I believe that the usage of it, though, has differed from the intention of the framers of the fountain. What I am referring to in this particular instance are the few times when someone wants to jump in the fountain to cool off. Though this is a somewhat rare phenomenon, I have seen this happen before. And, in other occasions, I've seen people run around right on the tip of the fountain. I also doubt that this was in the original intention of the architects who made it. So, perhaps this could represent the art of the contact zone, as discussed by Mary-Louise Pratt. It is because of the interesting nature of this fountain (as with any fountain) that I will remember very well even after I attend JMU.
In response to Justin’s post, I agree that this space is often overlooked and undermined. The fountain reminds me of the university I transferred from because throughout the campus there were numerous fountains. The tradition was for freshman to go fountain hopping the week of orientation. Although I am happy to be at JMU I am reminded about the memories from my freshman and sophomore years at my previous institution.
ReplyDeleteAs far as design and how the space works on JMU’s campus, Greenburg would be proud of the space. The wall and fountain are made of Bluestone, which is the same material as the surrounding buildings. Thus, the architect did not design something too modern that would look out of place. The fountain itself is also simple and classic. Mattson would approve of this out door space because it fosters discussion. The circular wall doubles as seating so both students and professors can sit outside and interact on beautiful days. I think this is one of the more successful outdoor spaces on JMU’s campus for its simplicity and function.
I decided to comment on this picture, because it is a space that I considered photographing for this assignment. Fountains are a universal structure; apart of many universities I have visited over the years. What makes this fountain specific to JMU is that it was a gift from the JMU Board of Visitors to commemorate JMU’s 100th year, and recognize how far the university has come since it’s establishment. This space demonstrates the progress of that JMU has made with in the Virginia College System over the past decade or so, is something not only JMU faculty raves about, but it is also something that JMU students cherish.
ReplyDeleteLike the original author said, it is not a large space, but it is a space that demonstrates the growth of our campus.
-Chelsea Krueger
I decided to comment on this picture because I also agree with Justin that it is a beautiful attraction on JMU’s campus that is often overlooked. I love the idea of adding a fountain to a college campus to add to the scenery that surrounds buildings. This fountain is able to add art and class to the campus without standing out too much because it has also been created by the same material as the surrounding buildings. Like most fountains this one may be taken advantage of on some occasions when students decide to stand on the edge or even to jump in it. I am sure that the architects had not intended for the fountain to be used as a swimming pool, but since this is not an everyday occurrence I believe that the architects would still be proud of their final outcome.
ReplyDelete-Stephanie Woodford