venetian glass craftsmanship meets 3D printing in ‘horizon’ suspension lamp

combining 3D printing with venetian glass craftsmanship, architects arturo tedeschi, michael pryor and pavlina vardoulaki have collaborated to produce a unique lighting design. dubbed ‘horizon’, the suspension lamp encapsulates a freeform 3D printed shape within a handmade glass shelter manufactured in murano, the legendary italian glassmaking center. the project is based on the belief that the design industry won’t evolve based only on a constant, technological upgrade of products, but rather through reconsideration and reintegration of values like uniqueness, hand-making, and even ‘imperfection’.

detail of the 3D printed core
all images courtesy of arturo tedeschi, michael pryor and pavlina vardoulaki

in today’s world, people seem to experience a sort of equation where technical perfection accelerates the obsolescence of products, along with disaffection. ‘objects are just temporary tools and companions that no longer tell a story and get abandoned at every hardware upgrade’ tedeschi, pryor and vardoulaki share. as a result, many companies are re-thinking their production approach, aiming to meet a complex demand which evolves with society. following this idea, the designers have decided to produce a hybrid design, between evolution and tradition, where contemporary technology meets the skillful human touch. 

3D printed shape encapsulated inside a glass shelter 

the main idea is to create two separately constructed sinuous surfaces that co-exist. as far as the outer lamp shell is concerned, the glass master shapes the glass by hand, relying on CNC-milled molds. after the glass reaches the needed shape, it stays one day on a tempra-oven where it cools-down slowly to prevent any cracks. once the glass is cold, it is ground and polished to remove any excess material and then, it is finally pierced with diamond tips. this process allows seriality and at the same time, generates differentiation and desired imperfection.

horizon lamp at palazzo loredan (venezia) – turned on and turned off

on the other hand, the light diffusing core is 3D printed in order to achieve a formal complexity not possible with traditional production systems. the horizon showcases its duality through the various stages of the day. during daylight hours the glass shelter is the main protagonist, exhibiting the beauty and preciousness of venetian glass, partially revealing the complexity of the inner shape. at night the LED system emits light, filtered and bounced by the inner 3D printed core, creating unpredictable and intriguing effects on the walls and the ceiling.

the LED system emits light which is filtered and bounced by the inner 3D printed core

bottom view of horizon lamp

detail of the 3D printed core

inner cavities allowing striped placement

transparency properties of the printed nylon

CNC milled molds for glass-making

detail of the 3D printed sandwich structure

3D model made using generative algorithms

original sketch

project info:

name: horizon

designers: arturo tedeschi, michael pryor, pavlina vardoulaki

glass consultant: matteo silverio

glass master: nicola moretti

3D printing: solidfill

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.