Peter Sörries
Interaction Design & Research
Architectural spaces, especially public interiors, often feel impersonal and rigid, with sterile lighting reducing their appeal.
The »Monolith« Module System disrupts this monotony with dynamic, light-based elements that create a meditative effect.
Exhibition
Salone del Mobile Milan
While a conventional visual display could produce a similar effect, the combination of shape memory alloys and reflective film better captures the unpredictability of natural environments, never repeating the same pattern and continuously generating new reflections of light.
Before focusing on the design itself, special attention was given to smart materials, specifically shape memory alloys, which respond unpredictably to electrical impulses by shrinking and extending in unforeseen ways. A structure was created to allow the alloys to move vertically, with impulses delivered randomly through Arduino-controlled code.
Several iterations were carried out to test the structure within a suitable housing, ensuring stability, refining proportions, and evaluating how well the design integrated with both functional requirements and aesthetic considerations.
The structure was carefully housed in an aluminum case that was welded, powder-coated, and painted in a custom-developed color, and finally completed with an acrylic display.
