hundreds of suspended parachutes by lazerian drift above manchester airport’s terminal

Lazerian turns airport chandeliers into a suspended installation

Atmospheric Reflections of the North is a permanent suspended installation by artist and designer Liam Hopkins of Lazerian, located in Manchester Airport’s redeveloped Terminal 2. The work reinterprets the airport’s original 1962 Venetian glass chandeliers, previously installed in Terminal 1 and removed in 2003, transforming their material remnants into a contemporary spatial composition.

Developed in collaboration with Manchester Airport, Manchester School of Architecture, and local communities, the project emerged through workshops, public consultations, and engagement sessions focused on themes including weather, landscape, industry, and regional identity. Rather than reconstructing the chandeliers in their original form, the design translates them into a new installation framework shaped by context and material reuse.

Over 500 suspended elements form a drifting ceiling landscape

The installation by multidisciplinary creative studio Lazerian consists of more than 500 suspended, parachute-like elements arranged as drifting formations above the passenger circulation route between security and the departure lounge. These forms reference Manchester Airport’s history as a wartime training base for the Parachute Regiment, while also drawing on meteorological conditions associated with northern England, including cloud cover and rainfall.

Each suspended element incorporates reclaimed Murano glass droplets from the original chandeliers, embedding historical material directly into the new composition. The canopies are individually fabricated and suspended using fine cable systems, producing a continuous field of light structural elements that shift in perception as passengers move through the terminal.

Tonal gradients and reclaimed glass define a shifting interior

A subtle gradient of tones spans cooler grays and blues through to warmer hues, reflecting changing atmospheric conditions and variations in light. Aluminum tags attached to the elements reference Manchester’s industrial history and acknowledge contributors involved in the redevelopment of Terminal 2. 

Installation took place during overnight working hours within the active airport environment, requiring phased coordination and precise sequencing. Atmospheric Reflections of the North combines aviation history, material reuse, and regional references into a suspended spatial system that operates within one of the UK’s busiest transport infrastructures.

project info:

name: Atmospheric Reflections of the North

designer: Lazerian | @lazerian_studio

client: Manchester Airport

location: Manchester, UK

photographer: Gunner Gu Photography | @gunner.gu

videographer: Joe Henry Wilson

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.