Panel Light

Panel light is one of the results of our experimentations in optimising 3D printing.

WertelOberfell experimented with mainly flat parts (short Z axis), that can be printed very fast and with as little material usage as possible. These parts were designed with different structures and geometries to add properties like stiffness, flexibility, deformability or an interesting aesthetic quality to the parts.

Another area of experimentation was to directly print onto all kinds of different carrier materials e.g. plastic foils, textiles or paper – a kind of hybrid technique, to benefit or add their material properties to the whole structure.

In search of a possible and a suitable application, for us being product designers, the subject lighting fixtures emerged.

The chosen lamp shade forms are platonic and Catalan solids, that are built from identical flat parts. Different micro- and macro structures, that are directly printed onto Japanese silk paper, help to reinforce the main frame parts. The structures were generated by the used 3D printing software, which ensured a quick and reliable printing process.

Inspired by the famous paper lights by Isamu Noguchi, WertelOberfell’s new designs represent a kind of modern interpretation of his.

Panel light was displayed at the MCBW 2018 in Munich as part of the VICIS exhibition (March 3rd-11th).

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