Fears for future of Diana fountain
LONDON, England -- Preparations were getting under way to reopen the Princess Diana memorial fountain in London's Hyde Park amid fears the problem-plagued water feature may be forced to close permanently.
The £3.6 million ($6.6 million) monument, which has suffered a catalog of teething pains since its unveiling last month, is being refilled with water before visitors are welcomed back on August 20.
A Royal Parks spokesman said public access would now be managed and confirmed that visitors would no longer be allowed to walk in the water, the UK's Press Association reported.
The fountain was shut down on July 22 after three accidents in which tourists slipped, and new guidelines have been drawn up by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents that ban people from walking or running in the water.
Although people will be allowed to paddle or dip their hands in the water, an award-winning British designer has predicted it could shut down for good within in six months.
"The problem with the Diana design is that its dangers are not apparent to the user," PA quoted Rory Coonan, former head of architecture at the Arts Council of Great Britain, as saying.
"The problem is compounded by the failure to anticipate swift algae build-up on stone. Even if the stone is cleaned, algae can regrow within 48 hours," said Coonan, who designed Birmingham's Victoria Square Fountain.
"This is one slippery fountain, and I predict it will shut permanently in six months."
Visitors were originally invited to stroll through the water coursing through the large granite ring -- designed to reflect the "turbulence, excitement and energy in Diana's life."
However, Royal Parks bosses have been forced to rethink their plans because of the large numbers of visitors.
Six staff trained in crowd management and first aid will now supervise the site in the summer -- cut to three in winter when the fountain is expected to be less busy.
Previously there were Royal Parks staff on hand, but the new staff roles were introduced in a bid to improve safety.
Temporary fences will also be erected around the memorial over a one-hectare area fitted with gates to allow staff to manage the number of people visiting the fountain at any given time.
