NEON – The Fountain
Credit John Sturrock
NEON reimagines the classical fountain for Brent Cross Town, North London, United Kingdom
The Fountain is a 4.3-meter-high sculptural water feature created by NEON, installed at the center of Neighbourhood Square in Brent Cross Town, London. It embodies the tradition of European city square fountains—serving as landmarks, playful spots, and calming pools through water’s sound and motion. NEON reimagines these qualities with a modern touch, designed to offer a space for pause, curiosity, and wellbeing in this developing neighborhood.
NEON – The Fountain
Credit John Sturrock
NEON – The Fountain
Credit John Sturrock
NEON aimed to create a fountain that was familiar yet visually unique. By examining historic examples, the team noted two common motifs: stacked, tapering plates directing water downwards and radial corbels supporting their edges. Early in the design process, they found that slightly shifting the plates in plan generated a subtle asymmetry, making the sculpture look different from each angle. These overlaps produced diverse cascades, enhancing the sound and movement of the falling water.
NEON – The Fountain
Credit John Sturrock
NEON – The Fountain
Credit John Sturrock
Material selection focused on precision, performance, and durability. HI-MACS was selected for its strength, color stability, and capability to shape the precise geometries needed for the stacked plates and fins. Its long-lasting nature and resistance to weather reduce future maintenance, and its repairability and recyclability promote a more sustainable lifecycle. Green was used for the vertical elements to reflect the surrounding landscape, while turquoise was chosen for the water tables to evoke the colors commonly associated with water.
NEON – The Fountain
Credit John Sturrock
Achieving uniform flows across different dish sizes involved close collaboration with specialist water feature consultants. Water flows around the entire circumference of multiple tiers and is managed by a baffle system that slows the flow before it reaches each plate, creating the appearance of a smooth, continuous descent from top to bottom.
NEON – The Fountain – Julie and Buster
Credit Cesare De Giglio
The Fountain sparks curiosity and encourages a variety of informal interactions. As people walk through the square, the offset tiers display different patterns of falling water, inviting closer inspection. Children often interact directly with the cascades and the shallow pool at the bottom, adding a sense of playfulness and energy to the area. For others, the constant sound and movement provide a calming background to daily life, making the square more inviting for sitting, chatting, or just passing through.
NEON – The Fountain
Credit John Sturrock
NEON – The Fountain – Lana
Credit Cesare De Giglio
Community engagement was vital to the project’s initiation. Collaborating with photographer Cesare De Giglio – who has worked with Ralph & Russo and Shakespeare’s Globe — NEON, Related Argent, and Barnet Council invited residents, workers, and visitors to take part in a portrait series. Participants shared a personal wish for the future — a modern take on the tradition of making a wish at a fountain — which was displayed alongside their portrait in an exhibition at the Visitor Pavilion. This initiative fostered a strong sense of local ownership and forged a visible link between the artwork and the community members who frequent the square, integrating their stories into the public space.
NEON – The Fountain
Credit John Sturrock
Neon Founders – Mark Nixon and Viliina Koivisto
Credit John Sturrock
“We were interested in creating a piece that could shift between being contemplative and playful, depending on how people choose to engage with it. The Fountain offers calm moments through its sound and movement, but it also invites light-hearted interaction, especially from children. That duality felt important for a public space like this.” – Mark Nixon, NEON
“NEON is an award-winning design firm based in the UK. The studio was established to explore the space between architecture, art, and design. We have worked on projects ranging from objects to large-scale art installations. Alongside our in-house team, we collaborate with a highly skilled network of engineers, interaction consultants, and fabricators to bring our projects to fruition.”
