The Wooden Waves: In order to find the perfect form and design, Mamou Mani and Buro Happold have tested more than a hundred prototypes for this installation meant to create a visual link between 17 and 71 Newman Street entrance spaces, of Buro Happold Engineering’s London offices. The suspended timber structure has incorporated LED lighting stripes, that make it a functional interior piece of furniture. The installation is made of laser cut plywood pieces which were assembled together using male/female connections. To create the supporting structure for the modules, the engineers have used the ”Topological Optimisation” tool, that generated a light structure, which uses a minimum of material.
The pieces from the installation were left in their natural state, and no finishing layer was applied. The project was created as a way of celebrating Buro Happold’s innovations in the fields of timber structure and gridshells. Apart from the visual component, the modules are also functional, helping to diffuse light and being able to absorb sounds and to stabilize the temperature, by using special features the were incorporated in the design.
By Cristina Juc
Project Info:
Architect: Mamou-Mani ltd
Location: London, United Kingdom
STATUS: Built
YEAR: 2015
SIZE: 3000 sqft – 5000 sqft
BUDGET: $10K – 50K
Cristina Juc is passionate about the intersection of technology, design, and architecture. A former Assistant Editor and Writing Intern at Arch2O, she contributed insightful content exploring innovation in the built environment. Her involvement in events like the Transylvania Biennial of Architecture reflects her ongoing commitment to architectural discourse. Currently the Executive Director at Spherik Accelerator, Cristina supports startups driving change across creative and tech industries. With a background in community building and educational tech, she continues to champion forward-thinking solutions that shape how we design, build, and experience space.