Resonance by Fung+Bedford is a large-scale lighting installation composed of four illuminated origami-inspired forms suspended within the nave of St Bartholomew the Great in London. Each structure is created from a single sheet of folded material, forming twisted, layered geometries that combine Tyvek, aluminium, LED lighting, and structural fixings into one continuous system. The installation is designed as a site-specific piece for Clerkenwell Design Week 2026.
The work consists of four separate sculptural elements, each approximately four metres long, arranged to create a unified spatial composition. The folded surfaces act both as physical structure and as light diffusers, with integrated LED strips embedded within the folds to provide illumination and support. The system is engineered so that lighting components also contribute to structural stability, preventing sagging across the suspended forms.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Integrated Material-function Design
- Multifunctional assemblies that merge load-bearing structure with illumination present potential for compact, weight-optimized building components that reduce part counts and simplify installation logistics.
- Large-scale Origami Structures
- Folded-form engineering at architectural scale enables novel volumetric efficiency and deployable geometries that can transform temporary and permanent spatial experiences.
- Lighting-as-structure Systems
- Systems where lighting elements contribute directly to mechanical stability point to new product classes that blend electrical distribution with structural engineering for sleeker integrated installations.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Architectural Lighting
- Specifying luminaires that double as structural elements could lead to slimmer ceiling profiles and reduced service cavities in high-end commercial interiors.
- Event and Exhibition Design
- Site-specific, lightweight folded installations offer scalable staging options that can be rapidly adapted to different venue geometries and logistical constraints.
- Textile and Composite Manufacturing
- Materials combining Tyvek-like substrates with embedded conductive pathways suggest opportunities for tailored composite sheets that integrate form, finish, and circuitry in a single panel.
