OTL’s Role:
University of Southern California Fountains
LOCATION
Los Angeles, California
PROJECT OVERVIEW
- Build
- Architectural Fountain
The University of Southern California is home to two of its most recognizable fountains, built by OTL under a team member’s direction at his alma mater. One fountain sits at the grand staircase in the dining courtyard of the Ronald Tutor Campus Center. The other graces the patio outside the university president’s office.
PROJECT
CHALLENGE
USC wanted both fountains to serve as memorable landmarks for two very different settings: a busy student dining courtyard and a formal office patio. Each location called for its own scale and character, since a fountain meant to draw students together needed a different presence than one welcoming visitors to the president’s office. Building recognizable fountains in such high-visibility spaces left little room for error.
OTL’S
SOLUTION
OTL built the dining courtyard fountain into the campus center’s grand staircase, giving students a natural gathering point. At the president’s office patio, OTL built a more intimate fountain suited to the space’s formal character. Both fountains benefited from the oversight of a team member who had studied the campus as an alumnus.
Today, both fountains rank among USC’s most recognizable water features, woven into daily campus life. They give students, faculty and visitors alike a memorable touchpoint on one of the country’s most storied university campuses.
