City of Fort Worth
The “cooling oasis” that resides in downtown Fort Worth between Houston and Commerce Streets next to the Fort Worth Convention Center will be getting a few upgrades soon.
The Fort Worth Water Gardens, most prominently known for being featured in the 1976 sci-fi thriller/classic “Logan’s Run” are moving closer to getting its 50-year-old pipes and parts upgraded, according to city officials.
Last week, the City Council approved the spending of $366,877 with Freese & Nichols, an engineering and consulting firm that will come in and evaluate the park’s infrastructure. This includes inspecting everything from the park’s pipes and pump systems, to checking lighting and operating systems — even the condition of the park’s pavement.
Post evaluation, Freese & Nichols will determine which of these sections will need renovations, fixes or just outright replacements. Findings from this initial evaluation will determine the park’s final design and construction plan, which includes improvements that span the entire 4.3-acre park and its five water features.
The Fort Worth Water Gardens were built in 1974 and designed by noted New York architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee. The Water Gardens themselves were dedicated to the City of Fort Worth by the Amon G. Carter Foundation. Out of the Garden’s five water features the main attraction is the active pool. This concrete art installment has water cascading 38 feet down terraces and steps into a small pool at the bottom. This space was built for people to walk inside of it down its terraced steps so as to become surrounded by the powerful sounds and motion of crashing water.
In 2022, a Bond Program was set aside for this project in the amount of $6.5 million, according to the city. This is only part of the total $124 million voters approved in 2022 to go towards all park improvements city-wide, in a Bond Program that equaled $560 million.
This upcoming renovation will also coincide with the current upgrades and expansion taking place at the Convention Center. To piggy-back off of this, the City Council also added project management services of the Water Gardens project to Broaddus & Associates as part of the city’s contract managing the Convention Center renovations and expansion.
The active pool in the Fort Worth Water Gardens was used prominently at the close of “Logan’s Run” during one of the final scenes. This pool was also featured briefly at the end of the 1979 television adaptation of “The Lathe of Heaven” and several music videos, including Kendrick Lamar’s music video for his 2022 song "N95."
