William Pye - Water Sculpture

William Pye was awarded this commission through a competitive process. The client, at-Bristol Limited, required that this Millennium Commission should be interactive and that it should be in the centre of Bristol’s new Millennium Square. However, the client team then decided that a feature occupying the centre ground would compromise the use of the square for events involving large numbers of people and asked Pye to relocate his design to the eastern side. Since his original concept was site specific, this meant developing an entirely new solution.

As the square was to be used for performances, Pye developed a series of water terraces, which creates areas of complete calm within this urban
environment. When required for special events, one of the terraces can be drained to create a circular stage where performers are surrounded
by water, which is held in place on the other tiers of terracing.

Canyon, seen below, at the south end of the square forms a counterbalance for the water wall at the far end. Water flows in roll-wave patterns over two prism-shaped monoliths of mirror-polished stainless steel. Pye has positioned these face to face, creating a narrow canyon which people can just move through without being drenched.