Diana
Owner: Intercontinental Hotel
Dates: 1972
Artist/Designer: Kivett & Myers (architects), Bromsgrove Guild of Warwickshire (original sculpture), Bernhard Zuckerman (sculpture replica casting)
Description:
In spring of 1972, the Alameda Plaza Hotel opened on Ward Parkway, across Brush Creek from Country Club Plaza. The architects decided to make a prominent welcome to visitors by designing the corner of Ward Parkway and Wornall Road to have a striking sculpture of Diana, Roman goddess of the moon, backed by a grand waterfall. The hotel is now known as the Intercontinental Hotel but the striking view remains.
The Diana here is actually a replica of a 1912 sculpture by the Bromsgrove Guild of Warwickshire, which was cast in lead. This Diana was cast in bronze by artist Bernhard Zuckerman, who received a commission in 1970 for this work from the J.C. Nichols Company, the original owner of the hotel.
Diana is the Roman goddess of the moon and the hunt. She is seen here commiserating with three cherubs. Her bow and arrows lie on the ground next to her left leg. Flowers are strewn about the ground in front of and behind the four figures. The sculpture sits atop a pedestal in the middle of a round basin. Originally, the basin had a fountain ring installed in it that sprayed water up onto the sculpture but it was eventually removed because it would get pedestrians wet as well. Currently, the basin is full of water creating a sort of reflecting pool around the sculpture but has, at times, been used as a planter and plants and flowers have created brilliant colours for the sculpture. The backdrop waterfall bears the logo of the Intercontinental Hotel and is 17 feet tall and forms an arc 56 feet wide.
