Light Surface by mankades em from uk
designer's own words:
The Flexible surface of the OLED is a unique opportunity to incorporate it into soft surfaces. In addition, the film like thickness means that it can be seamlessly integrated into other elements. The proposal looks at incorporating OLED surfaces into tensile canopies for outdoor public spaces.
Lighting is always one of the weakest points for these canopies. Where beautiful surfaces are lit by clunky heavy light fixtures mounted on frames or fixed at low level. This composite plane of light and fabric will produce a beautiful single element that not only clears the clutter so that one can appreciate the architecture in all its glory and free the ground below for use but also provides a beautiful diffused glow to the space that the canopy is covering.
The flexibility of the system can be used to create designs within the canopies, whether these be decorative or indeed used for branding and marketing purposes, for example custom designed canopies for events, branded awnings for shops, umbrellas that double up with lighting outside public venues etc.
The wiring can be woven into the fabric to create a feature on the surface, augmenting rather than distracting from the pattern with the power supply being incorporated within the framework. Though the modules shown are of different sizes the existing modules can also be worked into the canopies in the same way.
Image showing OLED distribution on surface along the edges
Image showing OLED distribution on srface creating a pattern
Image showing OLED distribution as a random pattern that could correspond with specific points of the ground surface to be lit up
detail showing how the OLED panel distribution could work
Detail of surface