RIVA at Pancras Square

King’s Cross has unveiled a stunning new artwork by Arthur Mamou-Mani as part of its evolving permanent art programme.

Situated at the entrance of a reimagined office environment on Pancras Square, RIVA is a flowing sculptural design by Mamou-Mani that guides visitors through a space of transition between outside and in, day and night, motion and stillness.

The project features two distinct panels, an interior piece and an exterior piece. The exterior piece marks an exciting first for the studio: the debut of Mamou-Mani’s wave forms in metal. With its soft, wave-like geometry, RIVA invites visitors to ‘surf the wave’, a playful metaphor for the fluid passage between the built environment and its human experience.

The name RIVA carries diverse and poetic meanings: ‘shore’ in Italian, ‘connection’ in Hebrew, ‘from the sea/star’ in Arabic and ‘sacred river’ in Sanskrit. These interpretations reflect the installation’s role as a threshold between elements.

The interior piece was 3D printed robotically from a blend of fermented sugar and non-toxic fire retardant. It is the largest single 3D print by Mamou-Mani, measuring 3m long and 1.9m high, in collaboration with Fab.Pub, which combines parametric design and large-scale digital fabrication.

RIVA flows like a soft series of waves, moving like a river through the entrance of the building and gently drawing people in. The sculpture captures a moment in motion: an upside-down wave splashing onto the sandstone, inviting visitors to playfully surf their way in and out of the building.

The piece is formed by folding aluminium panels into a high-resolution origami structure using a technique known as a lattice hinge. Through this method, rigid metal sheets gain flexibility, allowing them to bend into fluid geometries. The folded surface spans the entrance like a suspended ribbon, with each panel precisely aligned to form a continuous wave that integrates with the surrounding architecture. The artwork only reveals its full identity once assembled in three dimensions, where a complex yet harmonious fractal pattern ties the elements together. This interconnected structure reflects the relationships between ideas, people and places woven through design.

At night, RIVA glows with a diffused light, offering a gentle transition from the bustling exterior to the interior calm. It becomes both a functional architectural element and a poetic landmark, embodying connection, flow and belonging, a quiet river of warm, glowing light.

The journey of RIVA began with parametric design, where the Mamou-Mani team developed the flowing geometry using algorithmic modelling tools. This allowed for precise control over each fold and connection, ensuring structural logic and design intent were fully integrated. To bridge the gap between digital design and physical fabrication, the team used Augmented Reality (AR) to assess the alignment of digital modules with their real-world counterparts, ensuring that every ripple and junction resonated with the site’s architecture and spatial experience. This parametric workflow also defined the panelisation strategy, allowing each aluminium module to be digitally coordinated, fabricated and assembled into a seamless continuous wave.

From this digital genesis, the project advanced to fabrication in collaboration with Fab.Pub. The interior panel was 3D-printed using sustainable materials, while the exterior panel, inspired by the waveform used in our Wooden Wave installation for Orange HQ, marked our first iteration of the wave structure in metal. Mamou-Mani also served as the general contractor, coordinating all consultants to ensure a smooth, integrated delivery.

This collaborative workflow spanning parametric design, augmented reality validation and digital fabrication reflects Mamou-Mani’s approach to architectural experimentation. RIVA is not just a sculpture; it is the result of a process that brings together creativity, technology and craftsmanship at every step.

This collaborative workflow spanning virtual craftsmanship, parametric logic, and digital fabrication epitomises Mamou-Mani’s ethos of architectural alchemy. RIVA is not just a sculpture; it is the result of a process that fuses creativity, technology, and craftsmanship at every step.