Andrea's Fountain

William Roth selected Ruth Asawa, known for her abstract wire-woven sculptures, to design and create the centerpiece fountain for Ghirardelli Square. Unveiled in 1968 amid some controversy, the bronze sculpture took one year of design work and another year to sculpt from a live model and cast. Landscape architect Lawrence Halprin criticized Asawa's nursing mermaid seated on a sea turtle as not being a serious work, but Asawa intended it to be enjoyed by everyone, bringing childhood fantasy back to the old and giving the young something to remember when they grew old. She wanted to create something tied to the sea that invited people to imagine turtles or mermaids appearing by the shore and to take in the Bay view beyond. The fountain, the most photographed feature of Ghirardelli Square, was named for Andrea Jepson, the woman who modeled for the mermaid.

San Francisco, California · United States