Vana Installation

Vana Installation

Vana Installation is an innovative architectural lighting installation that exemplifies the intersection of biomimetic design principles and advanced computational geometry. Created by designers Rajat Sodhi and Christoph Klemmt, this suspended luminous structure explores the reversal of natural plant structural systems, transforming compressive forces into tensile elements. The installation, measuring 4.25 x 9.75 meters in plan and 3.2 meters in height, features a sophisticated single-surface design that descends from the ceiling in four illuminated columns. The structure's geometry is generated through cellular algorithms, resulting in a complex tessellation of triangular segments that creates an iso-surface around a venation network. Constructed from 250 gsm paper and illuminated by internal LED strip lighting, the installation creates an immersive atmospheric effect through light diffusing through its stitched joints. The design process involved the development of specialized algorithms that digitally generate open and closed venation patterns, simulating natural growth patterns of topiaries while maximizing theoretical light exposure. This groundbreaking approach to architectural lighting earned the installation a Golden A' Design Award in the Lighting Products and Fixtures Design category, recognizing its innovative fusion of natural principles with contemporary design technology. The installation's tree-like branches seamlessly blend into a continuous canopy, creating a floating effect that transforms the spatial experience beneath it, demonstrating an exceptional achievement in combining artistic vision with technical innovation.

architectural lighting, biomimetic design, tensile structure, computational geometry, LED illumination, venation patterns

— Adam Dawson

CITATION : "Adam Dawson. 'Vana Installation.' Design+Encyclopedia. https://design-encyclopedia.com/define/vana-installation?E=448479 (Accessed on October 14, 2026)"