Chapman Taylor shortlisted for Dezeen’s Shaping Water Competition at Clerkenwell Design Week
Chapman Taylor is proud to announce that its concept ‘Water Tales’ has been shortlisted for Dezeen magazine’s prestigious Shaping Water Competition, held in collaboration with Villeroy & Boch and Ideal Standard for Clerkenwell Design Week 2025.
The competition challenges architects and designers to create a large-scale public installation that captures the essence of water—its beauty, symbolism, and impact on wellbeing—within the iconic St John’s Gate in Clerkenwell, London. Entrants were tasked with interpreting water’s aesthetic and functional qualities in bold, innovative ways, using any material and mindful of environmental sustainability.
Chapman Taylor’s shortlisted entry, Water Tales, takes visitors on a powerful narrative journey through contrasting experiences of water scarcity and abundance. The immersive design begins with an evocative empty space symbolising the absence of water, then transitions into a lush, forest-like zone celebrating water's restorative and emotional power. Constructed from cardboard tubes and translucent tree-sapling protectors, the installation is designed for reuse and sustainability. The first volume is stark and minimal, while the second is alive with trailing plants, light-filtering cut-outs, and a humid atmosphere that invites visitors to slow down and reflect.
The concept was developed by Chapman Taylor architects Rekha Barry-Houston and Szymon Milczarek, and Architectural Assistant Maria Trif.
The winning installation will be built over three days—17 to 19 May 2025—and unveiled to the public during Clerkenwell Design Week on 20–22 May.
Chapman Taylor’s Water Tales offers a compelling, environmentally conscious interpretation of the competition brief, celebrating water not only as a vital resource but as a medium for storytelling, wellbeing, and public engagement.