studio etain ho designs 'cone of radiance' light installation to bring joy & comfort to hong kong

design studio etain ho presents the ‘cone of radiance’ illuminating installation designed for the 2020 hong kong light festival. created to settle along the seaside promenade, the art installation comprises 256 LEDs that generate a captivating light show with music, allowing passers-by to be momentarily transported to a spiritual refuge. 

cone of radiance sitting at the promenade of west kowloon cultural district
all images courtesy of studio etain ho

‘LED light shows are often described as tacky and they seldom evoke the emotions of visitors’ studio etain ho shares. however, with ‘cone of radiance’, the designers aim to form an experience that comforts and touches the observers’ minds and hearts in an intimate way. instead of creating a multi-patterned flashy effect, here the LEDs go on and off softly, as if each one were a gentle and sincere human being.

side view

each LED can perform individually, or as part of a bigger sequence, without never losing its tenderness and softness. ‘this is how we would like to express the benign quality of humankind’ the studio says. when a light turns on, its reflection appears on the other side of the cone, with its power being multiplied and brightening up the interior even more. ‘the amplified energy represents how we would like to express hope and meliorism under the current uncertain times’ the designers add.

interior view

the installation consists of a cone made of thermoformed acrylic sheet with gloss blue acrylic on its interior and clear acrylic on its exterior. within the internal surface, the 256 LEDS brighten up, with their light being mirrored by the reflective lining of the structure. the design employs the idea of kits-of-parts which enables easy transportation, installation/ dismantling, while minimizing the required storage space. therefore, the cone of radiance can be characterized as a sustainable product and can be re-exhibited somewhere else in the future.

the light show can be played every half an hour or at a suitable interval suggested by the curator. for the rest of the time, visitors can choose to control the LEDs by the front control panel with its multiple IR sensors. people are able to turn on the lights they want by hovering their hands above the unrolled lightmap, and without touching the panel.

side view

interior view

project info:

name: cone of radiance
design: studio etain ho

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: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom