Samuel Ross creates waterfall installation for "peace and contemplation" in Milan

British designer Samuel Ross has unveiled the Transposition installation for whiskey brand The Balvenie to provide a soothing refuge during the busy Milan design week.

Transposition has three waterfalls constructed from copper-coloured scaffolding inside a former foundry in Milan's historic Isola district.

The three towers are arranged in a line, progressing in height from around four metres to around six metres. Water that collects in a concealed trough at the bottom of each is pumped up and continuously recycled.

It is a multi-sensorial piece, with the perpetually falling water filling the space with white noise, as well as causing a noticeable drop in temperature compared to the outside.

The industrial materials and setting were selected to recall the equipment and techniques used in The Balvenie's distillation process. Flashes of yellow punctuate the copper to introduce a sense of vibrancy and contemporaneity.

Ross said he wanted to create a spot for "quiet and peace and contemplation in a week which we know is filled with so much intensity".

The idea for the approach was sparked by a research visit to The Balvenie's distillery in Dufftown, an isolated burgh set among the dramatic landscapes of north-east Scotland.

"Really, what came to mind when it came to sketching and having conversations around the install was the focus on the founding well within Dufftown that helped establish The Balvenie," he said.

"And the contrast of water being taken from quite an organic well and then running through a course of distillation, and the constant churning of water across that journey."

The installation was commissioned by The Balvenie to mark the launch of its The Balvenie Fifty Collection, a 50-year-aged single malt.

Ross and his studio, SR_A, were tasked with addressing perceptions about whiskey drinking in a way that was relevant to a younger generation of consumers.

Ross is known chiefly as a fashion designer, having founded luxury sportswear brand A Cold Wall, but in recent years has also moved into art, product design and industrial design.

During 2024's Milan design week, he presented a bright orange toilet designed for bathroom brand Kohler.

The photography is by Francesco Stelitano.

Transposition is at the Historic Foundry on Via Genova Thaon di Revel from 8 to 11 April. See our Milan design week 2025 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.

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