Fountain In Courtyard Of Shell Centre

The fountain, located in the courtyard of the Shell Centre, was created between 1959 and 1963 by the sculptor Franta Belsky. It is a public fountain made from bronze, cast in 104 sections from clay and plaster moulds and powered by two four-horsepower pumps. When operating fully, the fountain can circulate 2,000 gallons of water through its spiralling shell forms. The entire structure weighs fifteen tons.

Belsky designed the fountain as a focal point and a deliberate contrast to the architectural severity of the Shell Centre, intending it to represent the human touch against the backdrop of a machine-like building. He wished it to be appreciated from both ground level and from the upper windows of the building, choosing a theme of shell erosion by sand and sea. Belsky drew inspiration from Johann Sebastian Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, aiming to create a sculptural counterpart to the music's form.

Belsky, born in Brno in 1921 and trained in Prague and London, was known for public sculptures such as the Lesson’ andJoy Ride’ works. The Shell Centre fountain was commissioned by Shell Petroleum Company after Belsky contacted the Shell Centre’s architect, Howard Robertson, and was given considerable freedom in design and placement on the South Bank. It is considered one of Belsky’s most complex and abstracted works.