Centennial Olympic Park was designed by EDAW, Inc. A key feature of the park is the “world famous” Fountain of Rings interactive fountain which features computer-controlled lights and jets of water synchronized with music played from speakers in light towers surrounding the fountain.
The fountain area is surrounded by flags representing the host countries of each Summer Olympics preceding the 1996 games. There are several pieces of sculpture scattered through the park including a statue of Pierre de Coubertin, father of the modern Olympic movement.
In the northwest corner of the park, this fan-shaped, eight ton sculpture was commissioned for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the modern games. Three runners, each 9 feet tall, cast in bas-relief, stand inside a huge arc that rests on a stone that was quarried on Mount Olympia, where the Olympics originated.
The sculpture was scratched by shrapnel from the pipe bomb blast that killed two people and injured 111 others during the games. Artist Calaboyias commented on this tragic event by saying: “Actually my sculpture protected people from the explosion.” Asked to repair the damage, he responded: “I wanted the damage left because those are marks of history now.”
CONTACT:
City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs
Robert Witherspoon, Project Supervisor, Public Art
www.ocaatlanta.com
404-817-6758