HARMONIC TIDES: SHAPING WATER COMPETITION WINNER

Harmonic Tides is an immersive 3D-printed installation by Mamou-Mani Architects, winner of the International Shaping Water competition hosted by Dezeen in collaboration with Villeroy & Boch and Ideal Standard. Installed under the historic St John’s Gate at Clerkenwell Design Week 2025, the project redefines the idea of “waves” by interpreting them not as water currents, but as sound frequencies, transforming the concept of water into a metaphor for sonic healing and resonance.

The installation features two undulating walls constructed from ripple-like modules, fabricated from sugar-based PLA, a compostable, renewable bioplastic. Each panel was digitally designed and 3D-printed locally at Fab.Pub, our sister company and digital fabrication hub in East London. This local, circular approach reflects our commitment to sustainability and modular design, reducing both material waste and carbon footprint.

Harmonic Tides builds on the architectural and conceptual foundations laid by our earlier project Altostrata, a curved, resilient shell unveiled at Dubai Design Week. Like Altostrata, this installation demonstrates the potential of digitally fabricated modular systems, designed not just to be built, but to be reconfigured, reused, and regenerated.

Light and sound play a central role in the experience. A soothing audio composition harmonises with flowing LED animations, creating a multisensory passageway that invites visitors to slow down and reconnect. The structure reuses and reconfigures modules from previous works, embodying our philosophy of regenerative design, where materials evolve, and meaning deepens over time.

Harmonic Tides is not just an architectural statement, but a meditative space that brings sound healing into the urban realm, reminding us that wellbeing can be both experiential and environmental.

Harmonic Tides is an exploration of healing through resonance. The installation translates the invisible yet deeply felt motion of sound waves into a spatial experience, where form, light, and audio merge to create a calming, introspective environment.

Visitors journey through two glowing, ripple-shaped walls inspired not by ocean currents, but by the structured flow of sound frequencies, a nod to the growing field of sound therapy and vibrational healing. These sculptural “tides” come alive with pulsing LEDs that move in sync with an ambient soundscape, composed to mirror the slow rhythm of breath and the natural cadence of the human body.

By placing sound at the centre of its design language, Harmonic Tides offers more than a visual spectacle, it becomes a meditative passage. One that invites guests to slow down, tune in, and connect with the healing frequencies that surround them.