nituniyo + memosesmas craft cardboard lanterns to float above the streets of castellón

design studio nituniyo and artist memosesmas have created a series of sculpted cardboard lamps for suspension and display over the city of castellón in spain. the hanging lights were the winning design in a competition hosted by the castellón territorial college of architects, as part of the nit de l’art, 2016 — an evening of celebration where galleries and institutions open their doors to the public for a night of art and culture.

the structure of the lanterns allow light to escape in strange and interesting ways 
all images © memosesmas

memosesmas and nituniyo’s lanterns are created by stacking segmented planes of cardboard, which are embossed and folded. once assembled, the different segments are secured together with ropes, resulting in a number of cylinders that vary in size, from 1.5 to 2.2 meters in diameter and up to 3 meters high. due to the relatively lightweight nature of the material, the lamps each weigh under 10kg, allowing for ease of suspension above the bustling city streets. alternatively, the shorter lamps can be placed at street level, to be used as a table or place of rest for those out and about for the nit de l’art. 

the lamps are easily suspended thanks to their lightweight material

floating above the streets of palma, the lamps are a playful but alien presence. in the sky, their perforated shells distort the light within, filling the streets below with a romantic, dappled light. on the ground, the shapes invite interaction and promote curiosity, where any passerby is free to peer inside its shell. the cardboard pieces are economical, easily mountable, removable, reusable and recyclable, while the electrical installation elements are quick and simple.

the lantern’s shape appeals to the curious

the cardboard planes are segmented, folded, and easily assembled

the pieces are between 1.5 and 2.2 meters in diameter

the strange design of the lamps can result in eerie, prismatic shapes

the studio have ensured that assembly is quick and easy

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: peter corboy | designboom