Object 001 — Blindness
Suspens.
The tactile lantern — a bespoke light for a world without edges.
01 / The idea
A light that wanted to be touched.
Standard lighting is made for the sighted world — hard metals, glare, industrial output. For the Blindness concept none of it worked. The Suspens was conceived, designed and developed for this project alone: not a product, but a site-specific response to the client's condition — a prototype for a new kind of empathetic lighting.
In a room without visual borders, the body craves a gravitational centre. The Suspens is not only a source of light but an anchor. Inspired by the yielding forms of bioluminescent deep-sea creatures, its silicone skin invites touch without fear of heat or shock. It is the heartbeat of the void.
Idea drawings
02 / Light
The warmth, not the brightness.
Diffused, zero-glare glow: the silicone absorbs about 40% of the output, leaving a surface warm enough to hold. At 2700K it reads like candlelight, or the warmth of human skin. In its quietest, spiritual mode it settles to a soft 60% — a single glowing object to orbit in the dark.
03 / The object
The whole.
04 / Material
Medical silicone, soft to the hand.
Medical-grade translucent silicone (Shore A 40) with a soft-touch, dust-repellent finish. A custom omnidirectional LED core floats within the shell to prevent hotspots, powered by a remote Lunatone DALI-2 driver so the object can breathe — fade in and out — in sync with the room.
05 / Drawing
Plan, elevation, section.
06 / Process
Sketch to prototype.
07 / Technical data
The anatomy of the object.
- Designer
- Ana Costa Martins
- Status
- Custom prototype · edition 01/01
- Material
- Medical-grade translucent silicone (Shore A 40) · soft-touch · dust-repellent coating
- Geometry
- Organic / non-Euclidean · approx. 450 mm (H) × 320 mm (Ø)
- Light engine
- Custom omnidirectional LED core, floating within the silicone shell
- Colour temperature
- 2700K · warm white
- Haptic output
- Diffused, zero-glare glow · ~40% absorption, comfortable to hold
- Control
- DALI-2 · remote Lunatone LED driver
- Project
- Blindness · D3SIGN 12
08 / Status
Custom prototype.
Edition 01/01. Conceived, designed and developed for the Blindness project — D3SIGN 12.
09 / Contact
Enquire about the Suspens.
Ana Costa · AC|D · Lisboa
puf@acidatelier.com
10 / Next object