Shrumen Lumen (2016)

A garden of five origami mushrooms with caps that expand and contract from a flat umbrella portobello to a bulbous cap when visitors activate them, creating a surprising and delightful experience.

Each mushroom is made of 18 sheets of corrugated plastic, a total of 83 square meters, hand-folded and carefully welded together. A solid mechanical structure made of aluminum and steel defines the shape of the mushroom head. An umbrella-like mechanism powered by an industrial actuator causes the cap to change shape. Pressure pads, located at the base of the mushroom, activate the movement, and at night, over 1,600 LED lights create a spectacle for those near and far. Nearly every one of the hundreds of parts for each mushroom were custom made by the FoldHaus team.

Shrumen Lumen premiered at Burning Man 2016, and is currently on view at The New York Botanical Garden until October 27, 2024.

Inspiration

Shrumen Lumen is based on an origami crease pattern called Waterbomb Base pattern, and inspired by the unique transformation of the Origami Magic Ball, designed by origami artists Yuri and Katrin Shumakov, who were first to enclose the pattern and create its beautiful movement. Read more about their work here.

Thank you to our supporters

Shrumen Lumen was made possible by the work and contributions of many. In particular, we'd like to thank Burning Man Arts and IDEO for their generous support, as well as the supporters of our Kickstarter campaign.

Currently on exhibit

Shrumen Lumen is on exhibit for WONDERLAND: CURIOUS NATURE at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, New York. Available for public viewing May 18 – October 27, 2024.

[See more about the exhibition]

Past Exhibitions

From Paper to Playa

[1] Paper PrototypeThis folding pattern, inspired by the Origami Magic Ball design by Yuri and Katrin Shumakov, has the interesting property of transforming from a cylinder to a sphere. Folding it, even with pre-scored paper, can take several hours. — **[1] Paper Prototype**
This folding pattern, inspired by the Origami Magic Ball design by Yuri and Katrin Shumakov, has the interesting property of transforming from a cylinder to a sphere. Folding it, even with pre-scored paper, can take several hours.

[2] Full Size Prototype

To create a full-scale mushroom cap, 18 individual sheets of corrugated plastic were hand-folded and welded together. The folding of this 83 square meter fold pattern required more than a dozen team members to push and pull the material.

[3] Motor Actuation

Once the metal structure was integrated into the mushroom cap, the built-in motor showed the full range of motion, and change of shape in the Shrumen's head.