Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Statue of the Buddha in the main temple
Gadaladeniya Viharaya
McClellan Falls
McClellan Falls
Kraken Habitat
Skye Textile Mill
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Caru' cu Bere
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Inside the Rothko Chapel
These Monuments Showcase the Beauty of Brutalism
about 2 hours ago
Aerial view of Pulau Tiga
The Original ‘Survivor’ Island Changed Television Forever
about 19 hours ago
Obscura Day Summer 2025: Roaming among Assateague's feral island ponies
about 22 hours ago
The main reading room of the Athenaeum.
Obscura Day Summer 2025: Literary Landmarks Across Providence
about 22 hours ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England London Exhale: Bionic Chandelier
AO Edited

Exhale: Bionic Chandelier

A living lighting fixture.

London, England

Added By
SEANETTA ALLSASS
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Stepping into the Victoria and Albert Museum, visitors expect to see classical and modern works of human ingenuity and creativity. What they may not expect to see is a living organism as a work of art. Look up in the sunlight stairwell of the museum's west wing to see an ornate, living light fixture.

'Exhale: Bionic Chandelier' is a living breathing work of art. This first of its kind creation was designed by Julian Melchiorri, a British and Italian engineer and inventor. Melchiorri is also founder and CEO of Arborea, a biochemical technology company. He, along with his team of experts, developed the world's first lighting fixture that utilized bionic-leaf technologies.

Taking influence from the museum's Art Nouveau and Islamic Art collections, Melchiorri created an intricate layering of 70 glass leaf motifs and embedded them with living micro-algae. The entire structure is maintained by a life-support mechanism, designed by Arborea engineers, that feeds and sustains the micro-ecosystem. 

Basically, the chandelier is undergoing a process known as photosynthesis. It is taking carbon dioxide out of the air and releasing oxygen, much like how plants take light energy to create chemical energy. The device doubles as an air purifier and source of light.

Related Tags

Museums Art Light

Know Before You Go

Located in Room 133 in the west wing of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, open Thursday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.. Admission is free.

Community Contributors

Added By

SEANETTA

Edited By

Steve 55

  • Steve 55

Published

January 29, 2025

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://millimetre.uk.net/our-work/exhale-bionic-chandelier/
Exhale: Bionic Chandelier
1 Cromwell Rd
London, England, SW7 2RL
United Kingdom
51.496639, -0.17218
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Luck of Edenhall

London, England

miles away

Victoria and Albert Museum WWII Battle Scars

London, England

miles away

Victoria & Albert Museum Dining Rooms

London, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of London

London

England

Places 552
Stories 110

Nearby Places

The Luck of Edenhall

London, England

miles away

Victoria and Albert Museum WWII Battle Scars

London, England

miles away

Victoria & Albert Museum Dining Rooms

London, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of London

London

England

Places 552
Stories 110

Related Places

  • Hokuto, Japan

    Nakamura Keith Haring Collection

    The only museum dedicated to the American street artist is in rural Japan.

  • Los informantes de Sahagún

    Mexico City, Mexico

    Laboratorio de Arte Alameda

    A 16th-century convent became a contemporary art museum.

  • Nara, Japan

    Shōsōin

    A raised Japanese building has preserved 8th-century artifacts for more than a millennium, earning this log cabin a reputation as the "world's oldest museum."

  • The Neoclassical palace is reason enough to visit.

    Corfu, Greece

    Corfu Museum of Asian Art

    A spectacular Neoclassical palace is home more than 15,000 artifacts and works of art.

  • Brescia, Italy

    National Museum of Photography

    Explore the evolution of photography and cinema through historical and contemporary equipment.

  • Front of the museum

    Memphis, Tennessee

    Metal Museum

    A museum dedicated to preserving, promoting, and advancing the art and craft of fine metalwork.

  • ‘Dividing the Light’ at dusk.

    Claremont, California

    'Dividing the Light'

    This public Skyspace created by artist James Turrell for his alma mater puts on a show every day at sunrise and sunset.

  • Kyoto, Japan

    Chaos Room

    A nondescript building is home to a one-room museum filled with an overwhelming array of art and objects.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.