Lightning Benches | NunoErin

American design studio NunoErin has been commissioned by the Mississippi Children’s Museum to design the Lightning Bench. The bench is able to interact with the users via its hidden network of sensors installed below the translucent surface. This project was inspired by a child’s ability to turn a functional world into an imaginative journey.

+ Designer: NunoErin | http://www.nunoerin.com

+ Design description by NunoErin

The Lighting Benches take us on a sensorial journey into the heart of an electrical storm. Each bench is portrayed as a bolt of lightning that strikes the ground with fractured yet symmetrical geometry. Below the translucent surface of each bench is a hidden network of sensors that detects electrical charges within the human body.

Lightning Benches, image courtesy NunoErin

Lightning Benches, image courtesy NunoErin

As the electricity inside our body is sensed, the bench responds with sundry displays of flickering light. When the body interacts with the surface, it is followed by a trail of light that delights the senses and sparks the imagination. The Lightning Benches are made of translucent resin, sensors, and LEDs. This project was inspired by a child’s ability to turn a functional world into an imaginative journey.

Lightning Benches, image courtesy NunoErin

Lightning Benches, image courtesy NunoErin

The Mississippi Children’s Museum is a vibrant 40,000 square foot structure with exhibit spaces arranged around the themes of Mississippi heritage, health & nutrition, literacy, cultural arts, and science & technology. The Museum is the first of its kind in the state and aims to provide unique educational experiences that inspire a thirst for discovery, knowledge, and learning in all children.

+ All images courtesy NunoErin