In 1994 Nancy Holt developed the unrealized project Falling, Flowing, Still in response to an open call for a sculpture commission at Portland International Airport in Oregon. In this unrealized sculpture, Holt brought together materials from the geological depths of Oregon and the air above its highest mountain, connecting places normally experienced as distant from one another.

The proposal centered on a grassy mound supporting a circular structure of pipes that would rain water into a reflecting pool below, measuring 24 ft. (7.3 m) in diameter. From there, the water would flow in four directions into a channel encircling the base of the mound, before being recycled into the structure. A serpentine path of crushed stone would lead people through the sculpture, connecting on one side to a small circular pool, measuring 12 ft. (3.7 m) in diameter, with a gas flame at its center. On the other side, Holt proposed constructing a mound of earth brought from the deepest mine in Oregon, topped by a steel globe measuring 5 ft. (1.5 m) in diameter, painted sky blue and filled with air collected near the highest peak of Mount Hood, a dormant volcano and the tallest mountain in Oregon.

The proposed sculpture would extend approximately 99 ft. (30.2 m) across, encompassing the central structure and the two smaller circular features. Like Holt's Sole Source, the sculpture was designed to be interactive: pressing a button would halt the flow of water, allowing the pool to become still and reflect the structure and the sky above.