INTO THE ATOM-Wings Aviation Museum

For Into the Atom, a permanent exhibition at Wings Aviation Museum, LILIS LAB was commissioned to develop and fabricate an interactive mushroom cloud light as part of the exhibition experience.

The exhibition tells the story of RAF pilots who flew through nuclear test clouds in the 1950s to collect atmospheric samples, and is the first permanent UK exhibition dedicated to this history.

Rather than treating the mushroom cloud as a purely symbolic form, the object was developed from historical nuclear detonation height data provided by the museum. These measurements informed the proportions and vertical structure of the piece, while the transparent horizontal layer marks a specific height within that dataset, translating an abstract numerical reference into something physically legible within the object.

Our work covered the development of the mushroom cloud from initial sketch through structural development, material selection, fabrication and lighting tests. Particular attention was given to the scale and distortion of the cloud form, the way light moves through the translucent material, and the suspended, visually oppressive quality of the final object.

Interaction was also central to the piece. The external control was designed in reference to a nuclear launch button, with the form, scale and physical response developed to support the wider exhibition narrative. The tactile resistance and return of the button were tested and adjusted to create a deliberate, mechanical interaction rather than a generic switch response.

The final installation combines historical data, physical fabrication, lighting and interaction design to turn archival information into an object that can be experienced spatially and physically.

Services / Process
Exhibition Object Design / Data-led Design / 3D Fabrication / Structural Development / Material Testing / Lighting Development / Interactive Mechanism / Prototyping / Final Production

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