Wells Fargo Court is the northernmost project in Halprin’s Open Space Sequence. Chronologically, it is the first of four works he completed with developer Rob Maguire. It is Halprin’s only interior landscape.
Like Halprin’s other Los Angeles landscapes, the Wells Fargo court incorporates sculpture. Here, working with sculptor Robert Graham, Halprin created an intimate garden that invites office workers and the public to linger and enjoy the sensual sculpture, the textures and colors of the planting, and the subtle sound created by the fountains.
The fountains, constructed of richly colored granite, explore the Islamic garden vocabulary of channels and subtle drops in elevation. The water channels with their raised blocks of stone are reminiscent of Halprin’s work for the McIntyres in Hillsborough, California, here elaborated and integrated with four statues of women athletes.
Over the years, the planting in the adjacent beds has been simplified and no longer creates the richly layered effect that Halprin desired. Fortunately, the fountains themselves are well maintained.
Halprin’s design fulfilled Maguire’s goal to create ‘an urban, indoor Garden of Eden’ and it remains one of DTLA’s most precious gems.
To see a full menu of the Halprin related events in Los Angeles, please visit www.halprinla.com.
The Cultural Landscape Foundation:Landscape as Catalyst: Lawrence Halprin's Legacy and Los Angeles