NINFEO 2024, University of Virginia, US

A nymphaeum, in ancient Greek and Roman architecture, is both monument and space—a sanctuary and a civic gesture dedicated to water nymphs. In Italy, it is known as a ninfeo: a place where architecture and water meet in quiet reverence. 

This immersive installation draws on that ancient typology alongside the vision of the new Contemplative Commons at UVA. NINFEO emerges as a contemporary sanctuary for reflection—an environment designed to slow the body, centre the mind, and invite openness.

At its core, a 180-degree infrared camera is positioned within the Dell, a luminous body of water that anchors the campus experience. This unseen gaze captures the movements of water, flora, and fauna, transmitting a continuous stream of data into the installation. Here, it is translated into light and sound, unfolding as an ever-shifting atmosphere—one that allows visitors not only to see and hear, but to sense and inhabit the living presence of the Dell.

Suspended throughout the space, hundreds of hand-drawn water lilies take form, etched into 3,300 crystal glass blocks. Together, they compose an abstracted diorama—a field of quiet intricacy and depth. These blocks are animated by a responsive LED system, their light modulated by the live data feed, translating environmental change into soft pulses of illumination. In turn, a responsive soundscape is triggered by the lighting through a 4.2 surround sound system.

With a subtle nod to Nymphéas et Nuages by Claude Monet, the work cultivates a deeper empathy with the natural world. Light and sound move in gentle synchrony: a bespoke, evolving soundscape paired with slow, wave-like shifts in luminosity. The result is a space suffused with calm—a place where technology dissolves into atmosphere, and attention returns to quiet contemplation.

Soundscape: Karman Line Collective

Structural Engineering: Simmonds Studio

Client: University of Virginia

Photos: Matthew Millman and Tom Daly

Size: 5m x 5m x 3m

Materials: 3,300 laser etched crystal glass blocks, timber, responsive LED and sound system, infra red underwater camera.