CSIS Data Chandelier

Celebrating the work of an important think tank through data and light.

The Global Data Chandelier is a custom light fixture commissioned by the Center for Strategic and International Studies for their new headquarters in Washington, DC. CSIS is a bipartisan, nonprofit think tank focused on international policy and issues of global significance.

Sosolimited partnered with Hypersonic Engineering & Design, Plebian Design, and Chris Parlato to design, program, and fabricate this one-of-a-kind chandelier. 425 hanging pendants form a map of the world when viewed from below. This map becomes a low-res display for illustrating global data such as GDP growth rate, renewable water resources, and energy consumption. Each data set is paired with a unique lighting animation. In addition, CSIS can highlight regions of the map that correspond with international developments or events within the building.

We'd like to give special thanks to the team at CSIS, including Dr. John Hamre, Mason Osborne at Jones Lang LaSalle, and Tom Carrado at Hickok Cole for their help in making this chandelier possible.