Dodge Fountain

Japanese architect Isamu Noguchi received a $2 million commission to design the most prominant feature of Hart Plaza -- the fountain. It is intended to honor the legacy of Horace E. Dodge, Sr. and his son for their contributions to Detroit and the auto industry. (Noguchi also consulted on the overall design of the plaza.) Many see a retro-futurist take on a UFO in the fountain's design, while others have compared it to "an inverted wing-nut." Noguchi used early computer technology to program the fountain's 300 water jets to perform a series of thirty-three different spray patters. This was pretty impressive for a mid-1970s creation.

Noguchi also designed the Pylon, a stainless steel spire sculpture at the entrance to Hart Plaza. According to Wikipedia, "The sculpture, which stands 120 feet (37 m) tall with a 7 square feet (0.65 m2) base, is a double helix that appears to make a quarter turn between the bottom and the top.The design for the pylon was inspired by the double helix of DNA."