fonte d’amore: architecture as a ‘love letter’
The Fonte D’Amore courtyard in New Delhi by Manifestation of Fluid Architecture (M:OFA) is a 645-square-foot transformation of an overlooked interior atrium into a sculptural core of the home. With its design led by principal architect Manish Gulati, the stone space fuses craft and technology into a deeply personal architectural gesture.
Conceived as a wedding gift from husband to wife, the courtyard draws on two shared influences: a proposal at Rome’s Trevi Fountain and the couple’s admiration for Antoni Gaudí’s fantastical forms in Barcelona. Its name, Fonte D’Amore — Italian for ‘Fountain of Love’ — sets the tone for an environment whose structure is informed by memory.
images © Ekansh Goel
undulating stone by M:OFA
At the base of the courtyard, the architects at M:OFA employ symmetry to ground its Fonte D’Amore in Renaissance logic, while above, its form dissolves into undulating stone surfaces. Over three levels, the geometry shifts from order to expression, a sculptural volume that links the home’s vertical axis. Balconies overlook the fountain and oculi pierce the ceiling, pulling daylight through the space in shifting patterns.
The daily rhythm of light becomes choreography. Morning sun filters across the fountain through the eastern skylight, midday light washes the walls evenly, and evening brings golden tones grazing a mural wall. At night, backlighting illuminates the water and allows the stone and water to dynamically merge.
Fonte D’Amore transforms a forgotten courtyard into the sculptural heart of the home
parametric design in new dehli
Fonte D’Amore is designed by M:OFA to be experienced beyond the visual. Jasmine creepers climb the green walls, filling the courtyard with fragrance, while tiered planters across the terraces add softness to the stone structure. Air and water interact: breezes drawn through the oculi mix with fine mist from the fountain, creating a microclimate that cools Delhi’s heat.
Behind the fluid skin lies a rigorously engineered framework. A parametric steel grid shell, composed of straightened segments for ease of fabrication, supports the courtyard’s organic surfaces. The stone cladding was realized through full-scale clay prototypes scanned for accuracy, along with CNC-milled formwork.
Lighting, electrical systems, plumbing, and structural loads are concealed within the shell. Every curve was digitally coordinated, balancing the appearance of effortless flow with technical integration. Acoustic qualities, water movement, and air circulation were modeled through rapid 3D-printed iterations to ensure comfort and function alongside sculptural form.
its geometry draws inspiration from the Trevi Fountain and Antoni Gaudí
the courtyard was designed by Manish Gulati of M:OFA as a wedding gift
jasmine creepers and tiered planters infuse fragrance and greenery
a parametric steel grid shell supports the organic stone skin
the dome acts as both crown and conduit for air light and water
light enters through carved oculi and skylights to animate the fountain
project info:
name: Fonte D’Amore
architect: Manifestation of Fluid Architecture (M:OFA) | @mofa_studio
location: New Delhi, India
principal designer: Manish Gulati
area: 645 square feet
photography: © Ekansh Goel | @ekansh_goel
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