Arthur Mamou-Mani explores the "strength and fragility of water" with wave-like 3D-printed installation

Architect Arthur Mamou-Mani explains how the ephemeral nature of water and circular design principles informed his installation for Clerkenwell Design Week in this exclusive video interview produced by Dezeen.

"There's something very beautiful about the strength and the fluidity and fragility of water," Mamou-Mani told Dezeen in the interview. "These contrasts are very poetic."

Unveiled at this year's Clerkenwell Design Week, the 3D-printed bioplastic installation transformed the historic stone arches of St John's Gate into a sensory "water corridor", offering visitors a rare moment of stillness amid the busy streets of Clerkenwell.

Mamou-Mani said he was drawn to the paradox at the heart of the Shaping Water Competition brief – giving form to water and its intangible qualities, despite its inherently unshapable nature.

"We are water," Mamou-Mani told Dezeen. "To be able to shape it, whilst it cannot be shaped – it reminds me of that quote from Bruce Lee: 'Be water, my friend.'"

The resulting installation, titled Harmonic Tides, comprised two rippling walls animated by pulsing light and ambient sound, designed to evoke the serenity of underwater movement.

The piece was created using sugar-based PLA bioplastic and fabricated locally in east London. Its modular components were repurposed from previous projects to reduce waste and minimise material use in line with circular design principles.

"We believe in circularity – that's reuse, reduce, repurpose, recycle – and we live it as a way of life," Mamou-Mani said. "It's very important for us to consider what happens after the installation."

Harmonic Tides was selected as the winning entry of the Shaping Water Competition, organised by Dezeen in collaboration with bathroom brands Villeroy & Boch and Ideal Standard.

The brief invited architects and designers to explore the functional and aesthetic qualities of water, highlighting its dynamic nature and transformative impact on wellbeing.

Mamou-Mani's design was chosen from over 200 international entries for its poetic interpretation of water's essence and calming, sensory-rich response to the competition's focus on wellbeing.

Harmonic Tides was on view at St John's Gate until 22 May 2025. An exhibition of the 15 shortlisted Shaping Water Competition proposals remains on display at the Villeroy & Boch and Ideal Standard showroom in Clerkenwell.

Find out more about the Shaping Water Competition ›

Photography courtesy of Mamou-Mani Architects unless otherwise stated

Partnership content

The Shaping Water Competition is organised by Dezeen in partnership with Villeroy & Boch and Ideal Standard. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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