Silver A' Design Award Winner 2025
Crystalline glass tendrils radiate outward from Derya Geylani Vuruşan's Fountain Of Life Large Scale Public Artwork with explosive dynamism, capturing the precise moment of water's transformation into sculptural permanence through masterful manipulation of transparent material that seems to defy gravity and temporal constraint. The installation commands its architectural setting through a sophisticated three-tiered composition built upon a classical carved stone basin rendered in warm cream and honey tones suggesting alabaster or fine marble, its gadrooned lower bowl exhibiting traditional decorative vocabulary through rhythmic vertical fluting that establishes visual rhythm and historical reference. Rising from this substantial base, successive tiers diminish in scale according to harmonic proportions while transparent glass elements erupt in all directions, their sinuous forms frozen mid-motion as if instantaneously crystallized from actual liquid. The chromatic strategy operates through calculated restraint, juxtaposing the warm golden illumination emanating from within the structure against the cool transparency of the glass appendages, creating temperature contrast that activates the composition with perpetual visual tension. Bilateral symmetry governs the overall arrangement while the organic irregularity of individual glass forms introduces controlled asymmetry preventing static predictability. The surrounding environment establishes theatrical framing through floor-to-ceiling drapery in sophisticated taupe and deep chocolate tones gathered with deliberate sculptural fullness, their vertical cascades creating repoussoir elements that direct attention inward toward the central installation. Flanking decorative screens in gilt metalwork display arabesques and scrolling foliate patterns establishing dialogue between the contemporary glass intervention and historical ornamental traditions. Spherical pendant luminaires suspended at varying heights introduce additional geometric counterpoint while their warm glow contributes to the overall atmosphere of refined luxury. The lighting design demonstrates sophisticated understanding of material properties, with uplighting from the base creating dramatic illumination through the translucent stone tiers while ambient sources produce subtle reflections across glass surfaces. Spatial recession operates through careful layering, the architectural aperture visible beyond the sculpture revealing glimpses of exterior light that establish depth and connect interior spectacle to larger environmental context. Edge behavior throughout the glass elements demonstrates extraordinary craftsmanship, with some passages exhibiting razor-sharp definition while others dissolve into feathered translucency suggesting the ephemeral quality of actual water spray. The overall atmospheric register achieves a synthesis of celebration and contemplation, monumentality tempered by delicacy, permanence embracing the aesthetic of transience.
This sculptural piece, located at İstanbul Airport's Kaimakk Restaurant, combines traditional travertine stone with large scale glass splashes to represent the concept of time. The stone fountain symbolizes the past, while the glass splashes, appearing to emerge from the fountain, capture the present moment. The design stands out through its integration of contrasting materials and its symbolic representation of time, blending craftsmanship with a narrative that reflects both history and the present in a dynamic form.