monkey temple - LEVITATING LAMP

This lamp is a fun and interactive way to decorate a room.

By incorporating levitation, it defies expectations and is mesmerizing to watch, setting a festive mood with beautiful light patterns on the walls. 

It's fondly called the Monkey Temple because of the cheeky animals that can be found all over this pagoda-inspired structure.  

It can stay motionless while suspended, or an onlooker can gently tap or blow on it to make it spin. Since it's on a levitating magnet, the lack of resistance lets the lamp rotate for hours, or sometimes days. 

 
 

VIDEOS: THE LAMP IN ROTATION

 
 
 

THE PROCESS

The lamp uses an electromagnet and levitating disc. 
The electromagnet is housed within a wooden base, while the wooden lamp sits on top of the levitating disc.

I designed the lamp in Illustrator and used a laser-cutter to produce the interlocking pieces.

Electromagnet and levitating disc

 

Partially assembled

Illustrator file of the panels with tongue-in-cheek scenes