Glow Globs Instalación de iluminación by Virginia Melnyk

Glow Globs Instalación de iluminación by Virginia Melnyk is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award de Bronce in Diseño de Productos de Iluminación y Luminarias Competition Category.

BronceIluminación· 2021

Glow Globs Instalación de iluminación

by Virginia Melnyk

Client: Virginia Melnyk Designs

A' Design Award de Bronce Winner in Iluminación Category

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Colors

The Design

About Glow Globs Instalación de iluminación

Glow Globs es una instalación de iluminación inflable realizada con tejido de nailon blanco, un ventilador soplador y luces LED. La instalación está compuesta por tres formas abstractas, cada una de las cuales mide entre 2,5 y 3 metros en cada dirección. Las formas se desarrollaron mediante modelado tridimensional y se inspiraron en el humo y en el flujo del aire. Cada forma está construida a partir de 80 a 100 paneles cosidos. En su interior se suspenden luces LED, de modo que la luz cambiante de color se difunde suavemente a través del tejido. Las formas se pliegan cuando se apaga el ventilador, por lo que la instalación puede trasladarse y desplegarse en otros emplazamientos.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Bronce

Glow Globs Instalación de iluminación ha ganado el A' Design Award de Bronce, un reconocimiento sumamente prestigioso concedido a diseños sobresalientes que se distinguen por su creatividad, ingenio y astucia. Los ganadores de Bronce son artefactos ampliamente hábiles y sorprendentemente creativos que acreditan la vasta experiencia, imaginación e ingeniosidad de sus diseñadores. Se espera que Glow Globs Instalación de iluminación sea un objeto muy apreciado, admirado y querido, notablemente profesional e innovador. Este diseño ganador del A' Design Award de Bronce incorpora las mejores prácticas del arte, la ciencia, el diseño y la tecnología, y es excelente por su atención al detalle. Glow Globs Instalación de iluminación satisface espléndidamente las necesidades, toca los deseos, encanta los sentimientos y atrae la curiosidad.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Glow Globs is an inflatable lighting installation, its unique design is deployable as the light fabric collapse with the fan is off. The Design is abstract shapes to spark curiosity and imagination. The shapes at night are illuminated with color changing LED lights. The lights penetrate through the Nylon material giving them a soft glow.
Dimensions & Packaging: The design consisted of three unique inflatables. Each design was between 3 meters and 2.5 meters in each direction.
Tags: LED, Inflatable, Lighting, Installation, Deployable, PopUp
Production Technology: The design was created in the computer using 3d modeling. Patterns much like those used to make a dress or piece of clothing were generated and sewn together on a home sewing machine. Each inflatable was made up of between 80 - 100 panels. Consisting of over 400 edges to be sewn together. Each peices was numbered and labeled to be able to stich them to the correct pieces. The inflatables were designed to attach to a special air blower fan used for inflatable sculptures. Led Lights were threaded through the interior of the inflated structure and suspended so to diffuse the light before it is emitted out of the fabric.
Design Challenge: Because the installation is pneumatic, it is important to understand how flat pieces of fabric will inflate. The fans blow in a lot of air and it is important to make sure that all the seams are sewn tightly. And that there are no leaks. At the same point the inflatable is under pressure and if the distribution of forces is uneven large amounts of force on one place may cause issues of pressure and seams to rip or tear. Studies done in Clo3D and Kangaroo for grasshopper, were able to give estimated simulations of where extra strain might occur when pressure is applied.
Research: My research is focused on sewing and three dimensional designs. i am interested in approaches to combine sewn forms into the built environment. Often engaging traditional and computation design making methodologies. In this case sewing large scale inflatables with large numbers of pieces methods from parametric computational architecture were adapted. As for the sewing methods from quilting, and dress making were adapted. the combination of making techniques and process of construction resulted in a unique design.
Inspiration: This project was inspired by the character inflatable lawn ornaments so commonly display in many front lawns of American homes during the holidays. But in contrast to the Santa Claus and Frankenstein that we see during the holidays. Glow Globs aspired to create an abstract organic form that would inspire imagination and creative thinking. The design was created in the computer using 3d modeling. Because it is inflated with air the designs were inspired by smoke and animations of airflow.
Project Duration: The installation is traveling. It was first installed for 3 days at Blink Art Festival in Cincinnati 2019, but can continue to be deployed at other locations and events.
Operation Flow: The installation was located in the landscaping in front of the Cincinnati Central Library. Here at night people would engage with the lights and play in the shadows of the colored illuminations.
Team Members: Virginia Melnyk
Image Credits: Photo Credits: Virginia Melnyk