Czech glass artworks Lasvit install giant pendulum in Abu Dhabi medical centre
The Czech lighting and glass artworks company Lasvit has just completed another major project, installing a huge glass and steel pendulum in a medical centre in Abu Dhabi. The stunning, pen-like structure is suspended above a lobby, drawing various images in the sand below using a computer programmed feature.
The lighting installations and glass artworks company Lasvit was founded in 2007, and it is one of the world leaders in its field, with offices in New York, London, Paris, Milan, Dubai and Hong Kong. Each year, Lasvit completes around 300 projects around the world, but the origin of the pendulum project in Abu Dhabi was quite unusual, says its founder and president Leon Jakimič:
“Typically, when our clients and products designers meet with architects or interior designers, they give us some basic story or idea and we prepare or create the design. But in this case, the client did not hire an interior designer, so they gave us almost 100 percent freedom.
“Our in-house product designer Wanda Valihrachová came up with an idea of a giant pendulum. She read a book about pendulums having therapeutic effect and healing powers when people look at them.
“So when we came across a project of a hospital for oncological patients who spend a long time just sitting there, she proposed the idea to the owner and he really fell in love with the idea and gave us the freedom to prepare the design.”
The 16-metre tall installation, which weighs over half a ton, consists of 300 crystal pipes. Each of the glass components has its own light source, so the pendulum as well as the drawing it creates by swinging in the sand, are fully illuminated. Mr Jakimič continues.
“The pendulum doesn’t swing by itself. It has got three engines in three different corners and there are very thin, almost invisible horizontal wires that connect the engines to the pendulum.
“There are pre-programmed drawings the patients can choose from and then the pendulum starts swinging, drawing shapes into the sand.
“The next phase that we are currently working on is an interactive one where there is an iPad where anybody can draw any shape and the pendulum then creates it. The client can then take a photo of himself and the drawing, and put it on Facebook or Instagram and so on.”
Despite the current coronavirus crisis, Lasvit seems to be going as strong as ever. In fact, says Mr Jakimič, it has seen one of its best years both in terms of turnover and profits.
“I guess it’s because our projects take on average three years. So this year was the result of the very hard work our people put into previous three years.
“For the coming year 2021 we are obviously facing some slow-down in our business, especially in the hotel projects. We are trying our best to compensate it through residential projects, since many people seem to be interested now in improving their homes as they spend more time there.”
