'laniakea' light by AMINIMAL studio draws from the mysteries of the universe

john and lana briscella — the creative minds behind behind brookyn-based AMINIMAL studio — draw from the mysteries of the universe in the design of the ‘laniakea’ light. hawaiian for ‘immeasurable heaven’, ‘laniakea’ is also the name of a celestial galaxy supercluster, home to the milky way and 100,000 other nearby galaxies. the pendant lamp has been conceived to entice our curiosity in astronomy and the advancement of scientific research, and pays homage to the place and path we are all on in the universe.

the ‘laniakea’ light draws from the mysteries of the universe

designed and produced at AMINIMAL’s studio in brooklyn, the ‘laniakea’ lamps began with the experimentation of magnetic field structures. the duo use the beauty of the galaxy supercluster as the inspiration to create a scientific aesthetic.

‘we research and apply generative design tools to aid us in our creations, as a way to keep a consistent body of interrelated works and a philosophy for creation,’ john and lana briscella describe. ‘the magnetic field simulation is a method that enables us to create complex forms simply by assigning the values and positions. the results are invisible natural structures that become the integral base geometry for tangible designs.’

the pendant lamp is named after a celestial galaxy supercluster

the design process started with 3D magnetic field simulations to determine the form of the lamp. while the complexity of the shape could have been easily produced by 3D printing, the scale was relatively large and a deciding factor in terms of time, material, craft, and cost. with this in mind, the production method for laser cutting was re-imagined. the 3-dimensional form was reverse engineered to be cut flat for production and folded for assembly, while still keeping its structural integrity in tact when complete. forming a composite material, a layer of tyvek and mylar are bonded together and cut on a CNC lasercutter. nine parts are sequentially assembled to create the lamp, merging digital and handmade craft.

the design seeks to spark curiosity in astronomy and the advancement of scientific research

‘this is not just to light up your space,’ the duo describe, ‘this is a lamp to think and talk about. by referencing works in the field of science, nature, and astronomy, we are using the light to highlight concepts and ideas of the 21st century. a talking point for superclusters, magnetic fields, and advanced manufacturing technology (just your normal breakfast/kitchen table conversation)’

the ‘laniakea’ lamps began with the experimentation of magnetic field structures

the beauty of the galaxy supercluster was used as an inspiration to create a scientific aesthetic

the design process started with 3D magnetic field simulations to determine the form of the lamp

nine parts are sequentially assembled to create the lamp, merging digital and handmade craft

a layer of tyvek and mylar are bonded together and cut by a CNC machine 

the 3-dimensional form was reverse engineered to be cut flat for production

‘this is not just to light up your space, this is a lamp to think and talk about,’ the duo describe