«Imperial Crown» Light Installation
Saint Petersburg, Russia - Nevsky Prospect | 2022
Description:
A large-scale festive light installation suspended above Nevsky Prospect—the central avenue of Saint Petersburg.
The composition represents symbols from the period of Imperial Russia, including the crown, orb, and scepter, stylized in contemporary light form.
Installations were spaced at approximately 300-feet intervals along a 3-mile stretch of the historic street.
Due to the need for attachment to fragile facades of heritage buildings, the structure was engineered to minimize weight without compromising strength.
Fabrication was optimized for speed using laser-cut and bent aluminum and steel elements, clad with LED rope and garlands.
This project remains one of my personal favorites, as it combined cultural symbolism, technical precision, and rapid delivery on a prominent urban scale.
Dimensions:
11.5 × 13.1 × 8.2 ft (W × L × H) & Installed along 3 miles of urban space
Software:
Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk AutoCAD, CorelDraw, Solid Edge
Materials:
Aluminum profile tube, steel sheet, steel tubes, monolithic polycarbonate, LED rope, LED garland
Technologies:
Welding, tube bending, sheet metal bending, CNC laser cutting, plywood assembly jig
My roles in this project:
• Conducted on-site measurements of existing mounting points on historical building faсades
• Designed the full modular crown structure and symbolic elements
• Engineered an ultra-lightweight aluminum-and-steel frame for safe suspension
• Developed laser-cut crown fins and a plywood assembly jig to accelerate welding
• Produced full fabrication documentation and CNC files
• Participated in on-site installation and ensured design compliance during mounting
• Managed coordination between design, fabrication, and installation phases
Key achievements:
• Delivered a visually iconic and structurally demanding installation across a major historical boulevard in under three weeks from concept to completion
• Achieved precise architectural symbolism through modular construction while minimizing structural weight for safe attachment
• Enabled fast, consistent fabrication and assembly through parametric modeling, laser-cut components, and jig-based welding


