Water Cube and 8th Street Park

Project Details

Project Description

Take A Drink of Life
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Water Cube & 8th Street Park
Pittsburgh, PA | 2,000 SF

Functional public art meets sustainable public amenity in the Water Cube

In what may be a first in the U.S., the Water Cube in downtown Pittsburgh is a functional piece of art that dispenses free, chilled, still and sparkling water. It’s strictly BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle) to encourage re-usable bottle use and discourage waste.

A 5-foot-by-5-foot laminated glass cube sits atop an 18-inch stainless steel cylindrical base. Visually, the cube’s base disappears at night when the Water Cube is illuminated, making it appear to levitate. The cube is further animated by an internal LED light system that pulsates rhythmically—like a heartbeat—a reminder of life’s connection to water.
Not only was the Water Cube designed to address the environmental strain caused by disposable plastic bottles but the surrounding parklet features a pervious paver system and mounded landscape. These allow water to percolate naturally into the ground rather than running off into the city’s storm water lines.

Within its first year, the Water Cube provided 5,475 gallons of water to 57,456 people, and kept an estimated 41,467 disposable bottles out of landfills.