‘Harmonic Tides’ installation by Arthur Mamou-Mani at Clerkenwell Design Week 2025 – All photos are by Sam Frost.
Design. During this year’s Clerkenwell Design Week, visitors strolling through the historic arches of St John’s Gate in London are being treated to a truly serene spectacle. Meet Harmonic Tides — the winning installation of the Shaping Water design competition, hosted by Dezeen in collaboration with Villeroy & Boch and Ideal Standard. The contest tasked entrants to celebrate the essence of water.
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Created by French architect Arthur Mamou-Mani, Harmonic Tides turns the timeless motion of water into a walkable experience. The installation features two gently curving, wave-like walls — 3D-printed and positioned in parallel to form a tranquil corridor right through the heart of Clerkenwell [Map].
“The project explores the structuring principles of water and the universality of flows,” says Mamou-Mani. “It celebrates the constant transformation and interconnectedness of natural systems.” Indeed, Harmonic Tides is inspired by the natural beauty of rippling eddies and spiralling ocean currents. An invitation to pause, breathe, and reflect.
Crafted from a translucent sugar-based PLA — an industrially compostable bioplastic — the sculptural walls glow softly, especially when lit by the built-in LED lighting. The result? A beautiful tension between the modern, almost ethereal material and the historic stonework surrounding it. Add to that a subtle ambient soundtrack, and the space becomes something of an urban oasis — a relaxing, almost underwater world where visitors can step out of the busy city flow for just a moment.
What impressed the competition judges most was how Harmonic Tides captures the essence of water not just visually, but emotionally. “This proposal appealed because of its ability to somewhat freeze the wave-like rhythms of water movement through its structure,” said Max Fraser, Dezeen’s editorial director and one of the competition’s judges.
In a city always on the move, Harmonic Tides is a gentle reminder of the power of stillness, flow, and the beauty that emerges when design and nature speak the same language.
All photos are by Sam Frost, courtesy of Clerkenwell Design Week.
