Onda Pendant

By Shahab Askarian

🇺🇸 UNITED STATES

CategoryLighting Product Design

Date of CompletionJanuary 1, 2026

Location of ProjectLos Angeles, California, USA

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Lighting Performance & Usage Context

Onda is designed for dining tables, reception desks and intimate hospitality spaces. The cast-glass wave supplies a soft lateral shimmer, while a concealed microprismatic optic provides working light below. The channels may dim together by phase control or separately through DALI. Single pendants suit tables up to four places; loose clusters cover longer communal tables. Suspension should keep the uneven glass edge above seated sightlines.

Project Description

Onda began with the uneven edge left when hot glass settles across a steel mould. Instead of trimming that edge away, the pendant uses it to catch and release light around the room. Each shallow glass wave is therefore slightly different. The LED and driver sit in a blackened-brass bridge that can be lifted out without removing the suspension cables. Light entering the glass creates a soft lateral shimmer, while a separate microprismatic optic below provides useful, glare-controlled light over a dining surface. The two channels may be dimmed together or separately. The pendant is available as one piece or in loose groups; when clustered, the waves are intentionally held at different heights so small casting variations feel coherent rather than defective. Three full-size trials were needed: the first produced a hard central shadow, and the second overheated the bridge. The current bridge separates driver and LED plate.

Project Leader

Shahab Askarian

University

UCLA

Profile

As one of the world's premier public research universities, UCLA creates a culture of optimism where top-tier education, groundbreaking research, and a diverse, globally connected community thrive in the heart of Los Angeles. Grounded in our mission of teaching, research, and public service, we empower the next generation of leaders—our Bruins—to challenge the status quo, drive social impact, and transform local and global communities.