Engineering Meets Art: A Lamp Inspired by Chillida’s Universe Is Created at Tecnun

A student at Tecnun, the University of Navarra’s School of Engineering, has designed and created a sculptural lamp inspired by the creative universe of Eduardo Chillida. The project, presented last Friday by student Eneko Fernández at the Chillida Leku Museum, is the result a partnership Tecnun, the museum itself, and the design architecture studio Arquimaña.

Far from simply replicating the artist’s sculptures, this student from Gipuzkoa has explored his artistic language, concepts, and philosophy to reinterpret them in a design , functional design object with its own identity. “I’ve explored the meeting art and design , translating Chillida’s narrative and signature materials into a lighting fixture,” explains the Lasarte native, a fourth-year student in Degree design and development .

During his research, Fernández has delved into some of the most distinctive features of the sculptor’s work, such as the dialogue between the subject the void, and the importance of light. “Chillida’s works envelop space without actually enclosing it; they are alive, they have dynamism. I’ve tried to translate that idea into a lamp that not only illuminates but also creates an atmosphere,” he notes.

The piece combines materials that feature prominently in Chillida’s work, such as steel and alabaster, and uses light as a central element of design. It also allows the height of the source to be adjusted to modify the intensity of the lighting and the atmosphere it creates. “Although art and engineering operate at very different paces, engineering provides method, structure, and the ability to know when to stop, ” concludes Fernández.

It is worth noting that the piece—both its structure and its electrical system—was built entirely at the university by the student himself. To do so, Fernández used various resources from Tecnun’s fabrication workshop, such as 3D printers, machining tools, and other equipment for the manufacturing and finishing processes. 

This work carried out as framework his project Degree project , under the supervision of Tecnun Professor Paz Morer. It has also served as the starting point for a partnership agreement Tecnun and the museum.