Monument to Steam
2024
INSTALLATION | LONDON, UK
Submitted for the Clerkenwell Design week 2025 ‘Shaping Water’ competition, Sonn designed an installation that captures the ethereal movement of steam as it rises, lingers, and dissipates. Inspired by ancient rituals and hand-carved monuments, it creates an illuminated sanctuary where visitors engage with water’s healing transition from liquid to gas.
The interplay of light and vapour forms a meditative space, where the slow movement of steam invites reflection on water’s role in healing and wellness. The design is rooted in historical references while maintaining a distinctly modern feel. Inspired by Native American sweat lodges and stone monuments, it embraces a sculptural, human-scaled approach that guides visitors towards the centre of the space, fostering a sense of immersion upon arrival. The ‘monument’ invites visitors to pause, gather, and connect with one another.
The installation was designed for longevity and reusability, with materials selected for their low embodied carbon impact and natural tactility with its colour tones mirroring those of St John’s Gate. By using 100% recycled PET panels made from waste plastic packaging and FSC-certified timber, Monument to Steam aligns with the brief’s call for an environmentally responsible design. The modular, ‘kit-of-parts’ assembly allows the structure to be simply disassembled and reassembled in new locations beyond Clerkenwell Design Week.
Through a seamless fusion of movement, light, and materiality, our installation transforms water’s shifting states into an engaging public experience - one that captures its beauty, transience, and essential role in human well-being.
