Vana: A Luminous Installation by Rajat Sodhi and Christoph Klemmt

Award-Winning Design Merges Art, Technology, and Biomimicry

Rajat Sodhi and Christoph Klemmt, the creative minds behind Orproject, developed a series of algorithms that digitally generate open and closed venation patterns. These patterns were used to simulate the growth of topiaries. The system consists of a set of seed points that branch and grow towards target points, maximizing exposure to light for each leaf. The resulting geometries fulfill these requirements and provide a suitable structural and circulatory system for the plant. Vana, the final product, appears to grow as tree-like branches blending into a continuous canopy that floats above the visitor.

What sets Vana apart is its unique structural system. While the structural system of topiaries acts mainly in compression and bending, Vana achieves a geometry that performs purely in tension. Designed as a single surface in tension, Vana hangs from the ceiling and descends as four columns of light. The surface is tessellated into triangular segments which are connected by stitched joints. Backlit with LEDs, light shines through the gaps and illuminates the space with an immersive glow. Vana performs as an iso-surface around an anastomotic network diagram, a cortex around a venation system.

Vana is constructed with 250 gsm paper and is backlit using LED strip lights. The overall dimensions of Vana are 4.25 m x 9.75 m in plan and 3.2 m in height. This project started in November 2012 was completed and installed in January 2013 at The Brick House, Project Jan-Path, New Delhi for The January Exhibition.

Notably, Vana was awarded the Golden in A' Lighting Products and Fixtures Design Award in 2015. The Golden A' Design Award is granted to marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom. They are venerated products and bright ideas that advance art, science, design, and technology, embodying extraordinary excellence and significantly impacting the world with their desirable characteristics.

With Vana, Rajat Sodhi and Christoph Klemmt have created a design that is not only visually stunning but also pushes the boundaries of design, technology, and biomimicry. It is a testament to their creativity and innovation, and a shining example of the power of design to transform spaces and create immersive experiences.