There’s something oddly satisfying about a light fixture that actually responds to your touch, and Michael Jantzen’s Interactive Radius Light nails that feeling perfectly. This isn’t one of those overly complicated smart lights that require three apps and a PhD to operate. Instead, it’s a beautifully simple kinetic sculpture that lets you physically rotate curved panels around a central light source, creating different lighting effects with every movement you make.
The Santa Fe designer has a knack for creating objects that make you want to reach out and interact with them. You might remember his House Sitter Chair that lets you rest inside a tiny house while you sit, or that space-time continuum lamp that plays with perception. With the Interactive Radius Light, Jantzen continues doing what he does best, turning everyday objects into something surprisingly engaging and genuinely fun to use.
Designer: Michael Jantzen
The whole thing is refreshingly straightforward in how it works. Four curved panels nest inside each other, rotating around a central column that houses an energy-efficient bulb inside a translucent cylinder. The structure measures 14 inches across and 18 inches tall, so it’s perfectly sized for most tables or shelves without taking over your entire space. Each panel pivots independently, which means you can create countless different configurations just by pushing them around.
What’s really clever about this design is how the panels interact with the light source. When they’re closed up, they form this broken cylinder that mostly hides the central bulb, letting only slivers of light peek through the gaps. Start rotating different panels in various directions, and suddenly you’re controlling both the intensity and quality of the light in ways that feel surprisingly intuitive. It’s like having a dimmer switch that also changes the shape of your lighting fixture.
The experience of using it feels almost meditative. You find yourself experimenting with different panel positions, discovering new combinations that cast interesting shadows or create focused beams of light. Unlike most lighting adjustments that feel like chores, this one becomes something you actually want to mess around with. The physical feedback is immediate and satisfying, especially compared to fumbling with smartphone apps or complicated control panels.
Beyond just being fun to use, the Interactive Radius Light actually transforms how lighting works in your space. The fixture itself becomes a dynamic sculptural element that changes appearance as you adjust it. Whether you want dramatic accent lighting for movie night or bright, even illumination for reading, the same device adapts to whatever mood you’re going for through simple physical manipulation.
There’s something refreshing about Jantzen’s analog approach to customization. While everything else seems to require Wi-Fi connections and software updates, this piece proves that sometimes the best interactions come from direct physical control. You push, it responds, and the results are immediately visible. No lag time, no connectivity issues, just straightforward cause and effect that makes perfect sense.
The post Kinetic Interactive Radius Light Lets You Shape Your Own Ambience first appeared on Yanko Design.