Design studio Fung+Bedford has used its signature paper-folding technique to create a trio of twisted pendant lights, suspended in the nave of a historic church for Clerkenwell Design Week.
Set in one of London's oldest churches, St Bartholomew the Great, the Resonance installation was designed by Ashley Bedford and Angela Fung to reference the space's serene, tranquil atmosphere.
The lights are fabricated using a process of repetitive folding and eight-metre-long sheets of Tyvek – a paper-like material made from high-density polyethylene fibers.
"The way we make and fold our work is very contemplative," Fung told Dezeen. "The work has a calmness based on repetition that transforms people when they move into our space."
The designers utilise basic origami techniques, including the common mountain and valley folds, which they adapt to enable them to create large-scale, three-dimensional sculptures based on the rhythm of sound waves.
For Resonance, this involved each fold being mechanically pre-scored and bent in both directions to form pleats that can fold both inwards and outwards –hence the name mountains and valleys.
At the centre of each origami light is a twisted LED strip that guides the shape of the paper, with an aluminium casing that provides structural support and prevents the work from sagging.
The paper diffuses the light, creating a gentle play of light and shadow across the folded surfaces that emphasises the structure's dynamic qualities.
Fung+Bedford's design process starts with small-scale paper experiments that are subsequently translated into CAD software to explore larger folds and generate patterns for mechanically scoring the material.
"We always say that we follow the paper," Bedford said. "We start with a flat sheet and play around to see where it takes us."
The Resonance project coincides with the tenth anniversary of Fung+Bedford, which evolved from the founders' award-winning jewellery practice.
The duo, who established their first studio at the nearby Clerkenwell Green Association, have consistently focused on ways of utilising scale and repetition to generate a sense of movement frozen in time.
"Although the scale of what we do now has evolved dramatically, our jewellery roots are still very present," Fung said.
"The attention to detail, the commitment to abstraction and minimalism, and the belief that form should always follow function have never left us."
The installation will be open to the public for the duration of Clerkenwell Design Week, which concludes on 21 May.
From their studio in Sussex, England, Fung+Bedford create large-scale installations and faceted sculptures using the durable yet delicate Tyvek material in combination with metal structures.
The duo has applied their origami-inspired technique to lighting products including a sculptural pendant light for Danish brand Frandsen, as well as installations for clients, including Ligne Roset, Saatchi Gallery, Diageo and Foster + Partners.