For a design project at the Florence Institute of Design we were asked to design a lighting system. The inspiration source I chose is a DNA string. These beautiful helix shaped natural constructions could form an ideal base for a lighting system. I immediately thought about a table or floor lamp where the parts connecting the two helixes could be tubes in which a LED string can be placed. By making it possible to turn the tubes, the lights can be orientated in different ways to create a multipurpose lighting piece.

With the DNA string set as the concept for my design I started sketching a floor lamp and table lamp in which the two helixes hold the rotating LED tubes.

I designed a connecting part that fixates the tubes in place using a form closure and two lockable disks.

The base plate of the lamp is made hollow so the driver for the LED strips can be placed inside. The base is sealed underneath by a removable plate.

The materials used for this design are aluminum tubes and wootex for the base. Wootex is a sustainable alternative for wood or stone and consists of compressed textiles. When polished it gives a natural stone effect which matches beautifully with the aluminium structure.

The main challenge in the detailing was the connection between the LED tubes and the helix shaped frame. I eventually came up with a system that is based on a small tube that is welded to the frame and a bigger lid that can be screwed onto it.