BARTHOLDI FOUNTAIN restoration - phase 2
Project Details
Owner: Architect of the Capitol
Contract Amount: $898,133
Date of Award: October 2008
Completion Date: May 2010 (anticipated)
The Architect of the Capitol awarded Grunley Construction the basin restoration and retrofit of the plumbing and lighting infrastructure for the famous and historic Bartholdi Fountain located on the grounds of the Botanic Gardens in Washington DC. Frederic Auguste Bartholdi (1834-1904) created the fountain for the 1876 International Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. The design was based on a model he had created in 1867. Bartholdi was also working on his design for the Statue of Liberty at the same time.
As time has progressed the statue has deteriorated to a state in which the fountain no longer flows water. The statue itself is scheduled to be removed and restored off-site. Phase one restoration of the statue is by others, but leads to the work awarded to Grunley -- phase II. Phase II is the demo and repair of the existing basin as well as adding new plumbing and electrical infrastructure. The basin itself is 100' in diameter and ~3' deep. The site in which the project is located is surrounded by very lush landscaping that will have to be protected during the reconstruction.
Phase III is where the installation of the electrical and plumbing vaults that feed the statue, so that water will again flow from the statue. The statue is scheduled to be re-installed on the new basin October 2009.
Date Posted: January 29, 2010