Noun Lantern Collection

At first glance, the lantern appears monolithic, a soft, sculptural form wrapped in a seamless, opaque textile skin. Its surface reveals little, concealing the complexity within. But with the flick of a switch, it transforms. Light reveals what darkness concealed: an interlocking wooden structure emerges through the now semi-transparent fabric. Shadows animate the surface, turning the solid volume into a layered compositional dialogue between inner frame and outer skin.

Here, transparency isn’t fixed. It shifts with light, surface tension, and the behavior of materials. When unlit, the cotton-spandex skin reads as completely opaque. Once illuminated, it selectively reveals the structure beneath. The fabric stretches unevenly, creating a multi-layered lighting effect, part glow, part shadow, part subtle impression of the frame.

The design balances control with unpredictability. The internal frame, made from lightweight okoume wood, is engineered with precision. The outer skin, however, resists detailed modeling. Its final form is shaped by key anchor points and the natural tension of the fabric producing a form that’s consistent in logic but subtly unique in shape each time.

Throughout development, shadow became central to the piece’s identity. Though technically a light fixture, it’s the shadows that give it character. The frame not only supports the structure but also casts intersecting lines and gradients, defining the form more through darkness than illumination. As light interacts with the uneven surface, it creates fading effects that change with angle and time of day, resulting in a dynamic visual experience.

These lanterns are scalable and stackable, with standard versions ranging from approximately 590mm³ to 1200mm³, and can conceptually scale and group further depending on spatial requirements with custom arrangements possible if required. Additionally the collection is adaptable for hanging use vs floor standing.

Each piece is crafted by hand in the AMN workshop in Melbourne, Australia, and made to order.

Designed by Merric French for Any Minute Now