Montage: 15 Modern Wall Fountains

When I drove past the newest shopping center on the corner of a busy intersection in Delray Beach last week I wondered, “Why does every halfway decent collection of stores (that is to say, glorified strip malls) have a fountain?” Indoor malls have long traditions of water features. I suppose the rushing water is relaxing. That doesn’t address the existence of the requisite stone fountain on the outer edge of a shopping complex of a busy suburban intersection. Only cars can see it and nobody can hear it. (Pause while I Google.)

“Why do malls have fountains” is a popular search (the first few hits are about some woman who fell into a mall fountain while texting though). According to National Real Estate Investor, mall fountains are good gathering places and apparently shoppers associate them with cleanliness. Some surveys show that fountains make for better ambience and better ambience increases sales. So there you have it.

I have plenty of memories throwing pennies into mall fountains as a kid. It’s still a thing. In 2008, patrons tossed $30,000 into the fountain at the Mall at Short Hills in New Jersey, which the company used for charitable donations. Perhaps a backyard fountain could replace the GoFundMe or Kickstarter campaign you’ve been contemplating.

On the heels of these scintillating tidbits of knowledge, I am following up with some actual high end, contemporary water features. Last year I did 20 Reflecting Pools + Fountains; this post concentrates solely on modern wall fountains. If you don’t have the dollars to hire a landscape architect, here are some roundups of readymade models: 20 Modern Outdoor Water Fountains and Top Outdoor Wall Fountains for 2016.