Day Trips: Gerald D. Hines Waterwall, Houston: Find a roaring waterfall in the middle of Houston’s Uptown neighborhood – Columns

photos by Gerald E. McLeod

The Wall of Water Gerald D. Hines In Houston roars like Niagara Fallslooks like a painting and, when viewed from the front, resembles a temple dedicated to our most precious resource.

The 64-foot-tall semicircular fountain was completed in 1985 to complement the adjacent 64-story Transco (now Williams) Tower (Houston’s third-tallest skyscraper), near Galleryone of the largest shopping centers in the United States. All three were companies of Gerald Hines, whose company, Hines, developed real estate around the world from its headquarters in Houston.

The Waterwall sends 11,000 gallons of recycled water to both sides in cascading leaves. The fountain filters approximately 80,000 gallons of water every 3.5 hours. At its base, a fine mist refreshes visitors in the summer heat.

The surface of the interior walls is made of black obsidian aggregates, unlike white water. In front of the water wall are three arcades called frons scenes (pronounced “skay-nigh fronz”) serving as an entrance. The element recalls the permanent background of a Roman theater stage.

The gate opens onto a 360-foot-long lawn, the size of a football field, but no ball games are allowed, and it is lined with 186 live oaks and a wide sidewalk.

Free parking near the water feature is available in the Nordstrom parking lot at the Galleria. Paid public parking for visitors is located in the garage next to the Williams Tower. Street parking is rare in the neighborhood.

Originally part of the office tower, the park was purchased by the Uptown Houston Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, a semi-governmental agency, in 2008 to ensure its continued free use by the public.

The Gerald D. Hines Water Wall is located at 2800 Post Oak Blvd. between Hidalgo Street and Westheimer Road. The fountain operates every day from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. At night, the water is lit. Well-behaved pets on a leash are welcome.

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