House & Garden 
THE FOUNTAINS 
TRAFALGAR SQUARE 
breadth is even more strange to Venice than 
a garden would have been. 
Trafalgar Square, London, is one of the 
most traveled squares in the world. 1'here 
are two huge fountains and something like 
half a dozen statues besides the great Nelson 
column. But the fountains stand back from 
the maelstrom of converging traffic, and 
against the terrace, so that they take no 
space that is needed for travel ; the Nelson 
shaft, which occupies the center of the 
square, is tall enough to dominate the whole 
busy scene and be visible as a landmark from 
afar ; and yet its base is not so large as to 
trespass—the natural convergence of traffic 
being before, not around, it. Finally, the 
smaller statues are placed so as to be deco¬ 
rative adjuncts—in purpose, at least—which 
are constructively incidental as far as the 
topography goes. Here, then, is a great space 
singularly well utilized. It may be consid¬ 
ered as having three divisions : the first, a 
vestibule crowded with criss-cross traffic and 
therefore left clear ; the second, a richly orna¬ 
mented setting for the enthroned architec¬ 
ture ; the third, the terrace upon the top of 
which the public building stands. There is 
here illustration of how important an acces¬ 
sory to its architecture a square may be made 
without loss of its own independence. And 
note, also, this about the decoration of Tra¬ 
falgar Square : in the heart of a vast city, 
walled by great buildings that are pierced 
only by busy streets, the roar of traffic puls¬ 
ing over its every inch, there is no attempt 
at incongruous “ naturalness.” The whole 
treatment is richly urban, frankly artificial, 
and yet unique in its superb decorativeness. 
The very fountains are sculptured, their 
basins enclosed in geometric copings. And, 
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