Chinese Paper Lanterns

My name is Stephen Wolba, and I am a fourth year architecture student. I am returning after having been away for 16 months on a co-op term. The object I have chosen for this blog entry is the Chinese paper lantern.

Typically associated with festivals, paper lanterns come in all shapes and sizes, and can be classified into 5 distinct groups based on these differences. Lanterns typically consist of a collapsible bamboo or metal frame of hoops that is then covered with tough paper.

Of particular interest to me are airborne paper lanterns called sky lanterns. These lanterns are usually released into the night sky for aesthetic purposes at lantern festivals, creating an incredible atmosphere. Similar to paper lanterns, sky lanterns are

“constructed from oiled rice paper on a bamboo frame, and contain a small candle or fuel cell composed of a waxy flammable material. When lit, the flame heats the air inside the lantern, thus lowering its density causing the lantern to rise into the air. The sky lantern is only airborne for as long as the flame stays alight, after which the lantern floats back to the ground.”

I think the connection between regular paper lanterns and sky lanterns is very interesting. I find the space and atmosphere that a lantern creates inside a building—on earth—to be a beautiful thing in itself. Being able to extend this atmosphere and experience into the sky—the heavens—for a period of time based on the life of the flame, however, takes this whole experience and raises it to a whole different level. The idea of an object allowing for an experience to take place at the scale of a building or room while simultaneously taking place at the scale of the planet is stunning.