Glow Globs 灯光装置 by Virginia Melnyk is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award 铜奖 in 照明产品与灯具设计 Competition Category.

铜照明· 2021

Glow Globs 灯光装置

by Virginia Melnyk

Client: Virginia Melnyk Designs

A' Design Award 铜奖 Winner in 照明 Category

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Verified Award Winner
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Colors

The Design

About Glow Globs 灯光装置

Glow Globs 是一件充气式灯光装置,由白色尼龙面料、鼓风机和 LED 灯具构成。该装置由三个抽象形体组成,每个形体在各个方向上的尺寸介于 2.5 至 3 米之间。这些造型通过三维建模开发而成,灵感源自烟雾与气流的形态。每个形体由 80 至 100 片缝合面料拼接而成。LED 灯具悬挂于内部,变换的色彩光线透过面料柔和地漫射开来。当鼓风机关闭时,形体便会随之塌缩,因此该装置可以便捷地移动并在其他场地重新布置。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 铜奖

Glow Globs 灯光装置是 A' Design Award 铜奖得主，这是授予以创造力、独创性和敏锐见长的杰出设计的极具声望的认可。铜奖得主是技艺娴熟、创意惊人的作品，印证了其设计师丰富的经验、想象力与机智。预计Glow Globs 灯光装置将成为一件备受推崇、令人钦佩且被珍爱的物品，兼具显著的专业性与创新性。这件赢得 A' Design Award 铜奖的设计融入艺术、科学、设计和技术领域的最佳实践，并因注重细节而出类拔萃。Glow Globs 灯光装置出色地满足需求，触动渴望，迷住情感，并吸引好奇心。

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