The widely criticised design of the public water fountains that are set to be installed across London was decided by focus groups, says Thames Water, which oversaw the design process.
Thames Water told Dezeen that they used public focus groups to settle on the design, which was created by "international specialists". However, the water fountains have drawn criticism from critics and designers.
The fountains feature a white plastic column with the central section removed to house a metal spout and drain. A large model of a blue drop of water sits on the top of the fountain, to make it "stand out".
Provided by Thames Water and the London mayor's office, the fountains will be placed in 100 locations around the UK capital.
Various designs run past focus groups Architecture critic of the Financial Times, Edwin Heathcote was one of many to speak out against the design, tweeting, "Jesus, who on earth designed this""
The distinctive fountain was manufactured and distributed by the UK's largest water cooler providers, MIW, in collaboration with Thames Water and the Mayor's Office.
The eventual design of the blue and white plastic water fountains was chosen from a set of options designed by unspecified international specialists.

Jesus, who on earth designed this" Locations of 50 new London water fountains revealed | Plastics | The Guardian https://t.co/oN0ahltQXe
? edwin heathcote (@edwinheathcote) July 18, 2019

"We ran a few differen...