Solus Lumi — Project Case Study

Project: The Ribbon | Corporate Atrium Installation

Location: Shanghai, China

Design Partner: Bercy Chen

Completed: Q1, 2018

The Brief

The client — a multinational corporation headquartered in Shanghai — sought a signature ceiling light for their seven-story atrium. The space was grand, minimalist, and flooded with natural light from a glass roof. The design needed to be fluid, elegant, and unforgettable — a focal point that would impress visitors and inspire employees.

The designer’s vision: a single, continuous glass ribbon twisting and floating through the atrium — as if suspended in mid-air, caught mid-dance.

Standard chandelier light fixture options could not achieve this level of organic flow. The project demanded a fully custom, handcrafted solution.

Our Solution

Solus Lumi collaborated closely with the lighting designer and the corporate architecture team to create a bespoke glass ribbon pendant installation — a single flowing form spanning over eight meters across the atrium.

Key Custom Elements:

Aspect Execution

Shape Continuous twisting ribbon — fluid, organic, asymmetrical

Material Hand-blown glass, custom formulated for strength and clarity

Light Source Integrated warm-dim LED (2700K) concealed within the ribbon

Dimensions 8.2m total length × 3.8m at widest point

Suspension Custom-engineered, near-invisible aircraft cables

Finish Soft frosted surface with subtle translucency

Every segment of the glass ribbon was handcrafted in our atelier. The twisting form required multiple rounds of prototyping to achieve the desired fluidity while maintaining structural integrity. From the initial sketch to final installation, the process took 18 weeks — including design development, material testing, client approvals, and on-site assembly.

Craftsmanship in Detail

The glass ribbon was not molded from a single form. Instead, our master glass artisans shaped each section individually, heating and bending the glass by hand until it achieved the precise curve and twist specified by the design team.

No two curves are identical — each bend was guided by the artisan‘s eye and experience

The surface carries subtle variations — proof of the human hand, not machine perfection

The glass is self-supporting — engineered to hold its shape without internal armature

This is high-end custom lighting as it was meant to be made: slowly, carefully, and without compromise.

The Result

The glass ribbon now floats through the atrium — appearing weightless, effortless, entirely natural. Light glows from within the ribbon, softly illuminating the space below without glare or harsh shadows.

Visitors often pause to look up. Employees have named it “the dancer.” The installation has been featured in two regional architecture publications and has become a point of pride for the company.

“Solus Lumi delivered something we didn’t think was possible. The ribbon looks like it’s floating — like light itself took physical form. The craftsmanship is extraordinary, and the team was a true partner throughout the process.”