Roto Form Lamp
A hanging lamp that balances soft lighting with spots of bright. Sewn grey linen and interfacing. Mahogany base turned on a lathe.
Spring 2025
Timeline: 3 weeks
Studio Project
Partner: Kenneth Yu
Timeline: 3 weeks
Studio Project
Partner: Kenneth Yu
THINKING
I observed objects that have rotational qualities, such as glassware or paper lamps, and developed profiles of a single unit that could create interesting forms when turned around an axis. Once the final unit was established and if the lamp shade would be a fully closed form or left open, the design of the wooden base was established to complement the proportions.
PROTOTYPES
Several prototypes of different unit shapes, number of modules (two units make a module), and scale. The center circle’s diameter on our final form was tested several times to open to a specific point without crumpling or tension.
FABRICATION
The mahogany base attached to the linen, housing the bulb and cord, was turned on a lathe to our established dimensions. Linen combined with fusible interfacing for added structure was sewn together to create our roto-form lamp shade. Each point joins to create a circle in the center of the form. These circles were hand-stitched in place one on top of the other to maximize the stiffness of the material to stay upright when hung.
