THE WAVE PENDANT

PROJECT CHALLENGE

The objective for the project was to research an architect and their projects, to create a custom light fixture that is inspired by their designs. I chose the architect Jeanne Gang and was inspired by her buildings that blend city and nature together.

PROJECT SOLUTION

For my project solution, I selected Jeanne Gang’s Aqua Tower. I was captivated by the movement of the building which led me to create my concept, name, design ideas, and choice of materials.

CONCEPT

The concept was inspired by the irregular repetitive forms and patterns in nature. The pendant shows movement through the hanging waves each uniquely cut.

PROGRAMS UTILIZED

Illustrator, Photoshop, Indesign, Laser Cutter

AQUA TOWER INSPIRATION

ARCHITECT JEANNE GANG

Buildings that blend Nature and City

Aqua Tower

225 N Columbus Dr, Chicago, Illinois

Completed 2009

USE OF MATERIALS

For my light fixture, I wanted to capture the repetitive forms found in nature. The architect uses various unique forms from nature that all have similar characteristics, yet are different. Much like waves, no two are exactly the same. Since I wanted to show natural elements found in nature, I used raw plywood as my main material. I laser cut each piece of the fixture to be slightly different and when brought together form a beautiful wave pattern. The main structure of the fixture is at the top where the light bulb is. This allowed me to create an open and uniform shape the bottom. I left the light bulb exposed in the center of the fixture to resemble the modern technology and the glass used in the building.

CONSTRUCTION

The hanging wood pieces and connecting supporting parts were drawn in Illustrator and laser cut. Once cut, I connected them to the supporting rings, then attached the cord and light bulb. I individually glued the wood pieces to the rings at the top of the fixture.