Sun Boat
Gonzalo Fonseca
1965 | Concrete
Strategically placed beside Lake Anne, the Sun Boat functions as both sculptural aesthetic for adults and an enjoyable playground for children – two of the key considerations of the planners and architects of the site. This molded concrete sculpture was poured onsite. It is one of many works at Lake Anne Village Center designed by renowned Uruguayan sculptor-painter, Gonzalo Fonseca. It includes a rowboat cut out of concrete and is accessible to the smallest of children for climbing in and out, sitting, playing, and taking their imaginations to infinite nautical possibilities. This, along with theLookout Tower and the lake beyond, provide the recreational opportunities so important to Robert E. Simon, Jr. in his plans for Reston. According to architectural mastermind James Rossant, “[The Sun Boat] was designed for children who wish to take an imaginary voyage. It was sculpted for its specific location in the Village as an object set in a red brick sea, to be viewed from above, and as a symbolic statement relating to Lake Anne beyond.” Gonzalo Fonseca was well known for his stone sculptures of “enigmatic forms” as well as architectural themes. He held interests in pre-Columbian art as well as naturalism and art based on symbolism.
Owner: Lake Anne of Reston, a Condominium
Photo by Charlotte Geary