Adrian Fisher is a British pioneer, inventor, designer and creator of
mazes, puzzles, public art, tessellations, tilings, patterns and networks of many kinds. He is responsible for more than 700 mazes in 42 countries since 1979.
Before embarking on his career, Fisher was educated at
Oundle School
Oundle School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) for pupils 11–18 situated in the market town of Oundle in Northamptonshire, England. The school has been governed by the Worshipful Company of Grocers of the City ...
and
Portsmouth Polytechnic
The University of Portsmouth is a public university in Portsmouth, England. It is one of only four universities in the South East England, South East of England rated as Gold in the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework. With approximately 28 ...
.
Fisher has created 63
mirror mazes, and pioneered the extensive use of thematic chambers within mirror mazes, to achieve Mirror Maze Adventures. He has created 44 hedge mazes, and pioneered the use of Folly Towers, Tunnels, Walk-through Parting Waterfalls and Foaming Fountain Gates in mazes. He designed the world's first cornfield maize maze in 1993 and over 400 since, and has set 7 Guinness World Records. He has created water mazes, most notably the award-winning Beatles Maze (with Randoll Coate and Graham Burgess), and the Jersey Water Maze. He pioneered the genre of Path-in-Grass Mazes, and has created over a dozen around the world.
Fisher has invented several brick paving and mosaic tiling systems. For the Orang Utan Pavement Maze at Edinburgh Zoo, he invented a new paver tessellation using 7-sided and 5-sided (regular pentagon) bricks. The 'Fisher Paver', his second paving system uses 7-sided and 4-sided bricks and has been installed within paving projects on both sides of the Atlantic. Its benefits include being able to achieve dynamic and intriguing designs straight off the pallet with no cutting, thus offering excellent labour productivity when laying; it only requires one new 7-sided paver shape, yet its modular scale matches all industry-standard paving systems. Fisher's third paving system is the Mitre System, which he invented and patented together with the American mathematician Ed Pegg. Used for both mosaics and paving, their distinctive angular shapes create unique and pleasing images. Notable examples of its use in England include four Historic Mosaics with the Millennium Maze in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, and the 24 ft high SciTec Mosaic at Oundle School, Northamptonshire; and in America, the Tree of Life Mosaic in a private garden in Roxbury, Connecticut.
His Colour Mazes have been published in ''
Scientific American
''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many famous scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it. In print since 1845, it ...
'', and walk-on examples can be found in the New York Hall of Science, Eureka Children's Museum in Halifax England, The Exploratory in Bristol, Cape Coral Children's Science Center in Florida, and over 30 other locations worldwide.
He designed the Star Map concept for London Buses, upon which was based the Spider Map system currently in use by London Buses.
In the 1980s, he co-designed the
Blenheim Palace maze, that appears in the 2016
Bank of England £5 note
The Bank of England £5 note, also known as a fiver, is a sterling banknote . It is the smallest denomination of banknote currently issued by the Bank of England. In September 2016, a new polymer note was introduced, featuring the image of Qu ...
.
Fisher designs puzzles for British newspapers and the
World Puzzle Championships. ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' newspaper named him as one of Britain's top 50 designers. He has written over a dozen books on mazes and puzzles, in particular The Art of the Maze (Orion Books, 1990), Secrets of the Maze (Thames & Hudson) and The Amazing Book of Mazes (Thames & Hudson, 2006).
A major Maze Art Exhibition on Adrian Fisher's work was held at the Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, Florida, from January to March 1997; it included the creation of full-size permanent mazes in the surrounding landscape, and the publication "Your Land is His Canvas".
Fisher was Director of Britain's "1991 – The Year of the Maze" Tourism Campaign. He was the recipient of the 2003 Resorgimento Award at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, USA, on May 24, 2003, "in recognition of those who have demonstrated outstanding creativity, who have and will continue to change the world in which we live". He gave a TEDx talk in Cape May, New Jersey, USA, on the subject of "The Pursuit of Happiness". He was a judge of the 2009 International Labyrinth Competition in St Petersburg, Russia.
He and his wife Marie live in the village of Durweston in North Dorset, and within their grounds have a yew hedge maze with a central Folly Tower, mirrored chamber, spiral staircase and battlement walkway.
Fisher was appointed
Member of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(MBE) in the
2020 Birthday Honours
The Queen's Birthday Honours for 2020 are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded ...
for services to international trade and the creative industry.
Locations of selected mosaics designed by Adrian Fisher
* The George Jackson Mosaic, SciTec Building, Oundle School, Northamptonshire, England
* 'Tree of Life' Mosaic, Private Garden, Roxbury, Connecticut, USA
* 4 Mosaics within the Millennium Maze, Higginson Park, Marlow, England
Locations of selected mazes designed by Adrian Fisher
UK
UK, Mirror Mazes
* Birmingham Sea Life Centre Mirror Maze, Birmingham, England;
* Edinburgh Dungeon Mirror Maze, Scotland;
* London Dungeon Mirror Maze, England;
* Longleat House Mirror Maze, Wiltshire, England;
* Louis Tussauds Mirror Maze, Blackpool, Lancashire, England;
* Warwick Castle Dungeon Mirror Maze, Warwickshire, England;
* Wookey Hole Caves Mirror Maze, Somerset, England;
* York Dungeon Mirror Maze, York, England;
* 'Punch and Judy' Mirror Maze, Dreamland Theme Park, Margate, England, 2015;
UK, other mazes
![Plaque for Marlow Millennium Maze, Marlow, Buckinghamshire - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Plaque_for_Marlow_Millennium_Maze%2C_Marlow%2C_Buckinghamshire_-_geograph.org.uk_-_2556565.jpg)
*
Alnwick Garden
Alnwick Garden is a complex of formal gardens adjacent to Alnwick Castle in the town of Alnwick, Northumberland, England. The gardens have a long history under the dukes of Northumberland, but fell into disrepair until revived at the turn of the ...
Bamboo Labyrinth, Northumberland;
*
Adventure Wonderland Hedge Maze, Dorset, England;
* Beatles Maze, 1984 International Garden Festival, Liverpool;
* Bicton Park Fence Maze, Devon, England;
* Blackpool Pleasure Beach Hedge Maze, Lancashire, England;
* Blenheim Palace Hedge Maze, Oxfordshire, England;
* Capel Manor Hedge Maze, Hertfordshire, England;
*
Escot Park
Escot in the parish of Talaton, near Ottery St Mary in Devon, is an historic estate. The present mansion house known as Escot House is a Listed building, grade II listed building built in 1837 by Sir John Kennaway, 3rd Baronet to the design of H ...
Hedge Maze, Devon, England;
* Greys Court 'Archbishop's Maze', Oxfordshire, England;
* Higginson Park Maze, Marlow, Buckinghamshire;
*
Holywell Bay Fun Park Fence Maze, Cornwall, England;
* Kentwell Hall Pavement Maze, Suffolk, England;
* Leeds Castle Hedge Maze, Kent, England;
* Legoland Hedge Maze, Windsor, Berkshire, England;
* Leicester University Pavement Maze, England;
*
Newquay Zoo
Newquay Zoo is a zoological garden located within Trenance Leisure Park in Newquay, England. The zoo was opened in Cornwall on Whit Monday, 26 May 1969 by the local council (Newquay Urban District Council, later Restormel District Council). It w ...
Hedge Maze, Cornwall, England;
* Parham Park Maze, West Sussex, England;
*
Scone Palace
Scone Palace is a Category A-listed historic house near the village of Scone and the city of Perth, Scotland. Built in red sandstone with a castellated roof, it is an example of the Gothic Revival style in Scotland.
Scone was originally the s ...
Hedge Maze, Perth, Scotland;
* Hedge Maze,
Speke Hall
Speke Hall is a wood-framed wattle-and-daub Tudor manor house in Speke, Liverpool, England. It is one of the finest surviving examples of its kind. It is owned by the National Trust and is a Grade I listed building.
History
Construction of ...
(National Trust), Merseyside, England, 2011;
* Staunton Country Park Hedge Maze, Hampshire, England;
* Water Tower Gardens Jubilee Maze, Chester, England
Europe
Czech Republic
* Castle Loucen: collection of 10 varied mazes and labyrinths within the landscape
Denmark
* Mirror Maze, Haunted House, Legoland, Billund, Denmark
Finland
* Maailma Fence Maze, Finland
France
* Chateau de Thoiry Hedge Maze, near Paris, France;
* Chateau de Colombier Hedge Maze, near Rodez, France;
* Peaugres Safari Park Mirror Maze, Annonay, France
Germany
* Berlin Sea Life Centre Mirror Maze, Berlin, Germany
* Hamburg Dungeon Mirror Maze, Hamburg, Germany
* 'Police Station Breakout' Mirror Maze, Legoland Deutschland, Germany, 2015
Poland
* World Labyrinth Bliziny, near Gdansk, Poland
Ireland
* Russborough House Hedge Maze, Blessington, Ireland
Italy
* Sigurta Gardens Hedge Maze, near Verona, Italy
Sigurta.it
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Jersey
* Castle View Gardens Water Maze, St. Peter, Jersey, Channel Islands
Netherlands
* Texel
Texel (; Texels dialect: ) is a municipality and an island with a population of 13,643 in North Holland, Netherlands. It is the largest and most populated island of the West Frisian Islands in the Wadden Sea. The island is situated north of Den ...
Island Maize Maze;
* Amsterdam Dungeon Mirror Maze, Netherlands;
* Amsterdam Forest Hedge Maze, Netherlands;
* Three Lands Point Hedge Maze, Vaals, Netherlands
North America
=United States
=
* Davis Megamaze Maize Maze, Sterling, Massachusetts
Sterling is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA. The population was 7,985 at the 2020 census.
History
Sterling was first settled by Europeans in 1720 and was officially incorporated in 1781.
Previous to its incorporation it was " ...
, USA;
* Amazing Chicago's Funhouse Maze on Navy Pier, Chicago, Illinois, USA;
* Skyline Caverns Mirror Maze, Front Royal, Virginia, USA;
* Mall of Georgia Paving Mazes, Atlanta, Georgia, USA;
* Noah's Ark Water Park Mirror Maze, Wisconsin Dells, USA;
* Norton Museum of Art Pavement Maze, West Palm Beach, USA;
* Norton Museum of Art Serpent Mound and Turf Labyrinth, West Palm Beach, USA
* Cannery Row Mirror Maze, Monterey, California, USA
* 'Palace of Sweets' Mirror Maze, Wildwood, New Jersey, USA
* 'Hannah's Maze of Mirrors', Hollywood Wax Museum, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, USA
* Elusive Butterfly Mirror Maze, Butterfly Wonderland, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA, 2013
* 'Hannah's Maze of Mirrors', Hollywood Wax Museum, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA, 2014
Canada
* Larry's Party Maze, Grand Falls, New Brunswick
Grand Falls (french: Grand-Sault) is a town located in Victoria County, New Brunswick, Canada. Grand Falls is situated on the Saint John River. The town derives its name from a waterfall created by a series of rock ledges over which the rive ...
, Canada, 2003;
=Mexico
=
* Colour Maze, Wol-Ha Children's Museum, Mexico
* Coral Reef Mirror Maze, Gran Plaza Mall, Guadalajara, Mexico, 2011
* Candy Mirror Maze, Chetumal, Mexico, 2011
* Egyptian Mirror Maze, Monterrey, Mexico, 2011
* Pirate Mirror Maze, Pachuca, Mexico, 2011
South America
=Colombia
=
* Bogota Children's Museum Maze Garden, Colombia, South America
=Chile
=
* Space Adventure Mirror Maze, Kidzania, Santiago, Chile, South America
Asia
China
* Christmas Maze, Hong Kong, 2014
* Squirrel Mirror Maze, Harbin, China, 2015
Dubai
* The Maze Tower, Dubai, UAE; winner of Guinness World Record for world's tallest maze.
India
* Imax Theatre Mirror Maze, Hyderabad, India
* Disco Club Mirror Maze, Gurgaon, Delhi, India, 2011
* Ali Baba Mirror Maze, Esselworld Theme Park, Mumbai, 2015
Japan
* Huistenbosh Park Mirror Maze, Japan;
* Seibu Park Mirror Maze, Japan;
* Spanish Village Mirror Maze, Japan;
* Tobu Zoo Mirror Maze, Japan
* Tokyo Dome Mirror Maze, Japan
* Tokyo Tower Mirror Maze, Japan, 2015
Singapore
* Hedge Maze, The Jewel, Changi International Airport, Singapore
* Mirror Maze, The Jewel, Changi International Airport, Singapore
* Professor Crackitt's Mirror Maze, Singapore Science Centre, Singapore
South Korea
* Jeju Island Hedge Maze, South Korea (Kimnyung Maze)
Thailand
* Ripleys Mirror Maze, Pattaya, Thailand
Vietnam
* Mirror Maze, Vietnam
See also
* Randoll Coate – Fisher's original partner in maze design
References
External links
Adrianfisherdesign.com
– Adrian Fisher's official maze website
Alnwickgarden.com
– Alnwick Garden
Beatles Maze
– 1984 International Garden Festival, Liverpool
Glasgow Green Trials
– American cornfield maze for MG sports cars inspired by Adrian Fisher
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fisher, Adrian
1951 births
Living people
Mazes
People educated at Oundle School
Puzzle designers
Members of the Order of the British Empire